Posted on 02/05/2016 9:38:41 PM PST by Red Steel
INDEPENDENCE - This was something new for Naomi Probert: Stand in front of a crowd of 500 people and tell them why she feels someone should be elected president of the United States.
The married mother of adopted Haitian children ages 5 and 6 found one candidate spoke to her heart: Dr. Ben Carson.
She and her family met Carson, personally, a day earlier in Manchester. The experience only reinforced her support for him.
So much so, she was willing to speak on his behalf at her Republican precinct caucus Monday night at Independence High School. In fact, her kids helped hand out literature for him. Supporting Carson was, for the Proberts, a family affair.
"I'd never done anything like this before," she said. "I felt really passionate about Dr. Carson. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story. I volunteered to talk for him. And you get all revved up to speak to 500 people."
Then, the unthinkable happened.
A lady who had just checked her smart phone said the campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz "just informed us that there's a CNN story that he (Carson) is out of the race and he's endorsed (Sen. Ted) Cruz," Probert related. She had already risen to speak.
"There was a gasp in the audience," Probert related. "I was just devastated. I got emotional. I said, 'My husband and I live here in Independence with our two Haitian children. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story...'"
That was as far as she got. Overcome by emotion, she sat down.
She and her husband, Stephen, got on their smartphones to find the story in question. They didn't. "We said, 'This isn't true. We were duped.’" The report said Carson was going home “for a fresh suit of clothes" the day after the caucuses instead of heading straight to New Hampshire - not that he was dropping out of the race. But it triggered speculation.
"It was a complete fabrication. He didn't endorse anyone," Probert said. She and her husband knew if Carson was withdrawing, he would say so directly to his supporters. She asked to finish her remarks.
"They allowed me to do that," Probert said. "I don't know if the damage had been done," - if the initial, incorrect announcement had swayed anyone.
"My speculation was that it was a media-driven thing, but I wasn't sure," Probert said.
Cruz, a day after the caucuses, apologized for what ultimately was attributed to a misinterpretation of Carson's statements to CNN about taking a break after Iowa. A subsequent CNN report and local Republican officials noted U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Cruz state campaign chair, had retweeted the incorrect information.
"I would say, being he (Carson) isn't a career politician, he probably doesn't calculate all of his statements" and how they might be used against him, Probert said.
"Dr. Carson accepted the apology" by Cruz. "In that sense, it's kind of been taken care of," Probert said. But Carson also called for accountability in several interviews. A Carson campaign email Thursday bearing a subject line "Dirty tricks?" said that, while some CNN commentators shared blame for "openly speculating" Carson was calling it quits, "it is unacceptable that Cruz's campaign would dishonestly twist and distort the CNN report to manipulate Carson supporters into switching their caucus vote at the last minute."
Donald Trump's continued criticism of Cruz over the matter "can only hurt Carson and Cruz," Probert suggested. "Trump's trying to take advantage of this and it's going to hurt them both. That's not good.
"I don't hold anything against anyone local," Probert said. "I really do feel like it's beyond a local thing. I think a lot of people in America are just really tired of politics as usual. That’s why Dr. Carson, being an outsider, that he's been so successful."
Probert is still committed to Carson as long as he's a candidate. She is a 1995 graduate of Cedar Falls High School.
The only issue, jjotto, is whether this was a tainted election in Iowa. It was. It will be remembered as one.
They’ve had 2 in a row now if we consider the Santorum/Romney debacle from the last Iowa caucus.
The democrats also have a tainted caucus. Obama’s election was tainted.
The bottom line is that we need a better process of voting. But no one will listen to that.
It won’t be the first time. :>)
In my mind, Cruz’s weaknesses make him unelectable, and this is just another addition to the list along with the voter coercion mailer.
I’m focused entirely on defeating the democrats in November. If that’s crazy, then hand me some meds, because I’ll need a lot of them to get through this. (Please, make them chocolate flavored.)
Agreed and I think that is what I was trying to get across in a much broader sense. Too many are trying to micro-analyze the whole mess IMHO and using this board more for rhetoric rather than discussion.
I started out this cycle as a Cruz supporter in even donating to the campaign. As time went along, it was more apparent his focus was on money rather than out there promoting a message. Then came along Trump and at first I was skeptical at best.
Since the David Brat campaign, it was apparent that message and connecting to the people was the best course to oust the GOPe since he did it with right at $100K ousting the sitting Republican Majority Leader, Eric Cantor who was noted for spending more for one steak dinner fundraiser than did Brat for the entire campaign. Brat was in the low 60’s winning the primary.
So with that in mind, I began to gravitate to Trump because he was putting his own resources forward and not taking any donations from the typical PACs and big money donors. Then came the personal attacks and he got off his message, but the basis remains. I see all of the serial posters and their blather that he was this and he was that, but he has never cast a vote in anyone’s name as a political or elected representative, counter to the promises made during a campaign.
As a businessman with obvious clout and money behind him, he played the “game” to further his business only to find out, over time, that investment was a dry hole as well. So as he says, he decided to put his money where his mouth is and go for it himself because what he saw was not working. Businesses need a market to thrive in and apparently, he saw that the elites were killing future markets for our economy to flourish in the free market. Listening to him, it is apparent that a very large promise from a politician, or politicians, was broken and that got his ire up.
I have not watched one of his rallies in quite a while because they started to be cookie cutter, although off the cuff, and I was not learning anything new from them combined with the personal attacks going back and forth with Cruz. The one thing I can say is that Rubio is totally out of the question, period.
I think that Trump is not getting into the weeds of the details of what his proposals would be because he does not want to give any pre-discussion leverage to any opposition because of how he handles the task of making deals as a businessman, not a politician. I just wish he would get back to the issues. Any shenanigans like Iowa ought to be just a simple statement of the facts as we know them and move forward. The town hall style appearances have been his best because he takes the questions and then answers them to the best of his ability.
Repeating....Cruz won....get over it.
Until this year, the Iowa GOP never awarded the presidential preference ‘winner’ with anything except bragging rights, so it was always done casually.
It’s ‘tainted’ in the sense that Bruce Jenner and Tony Stewart are guilty of murder; completely in FReepers minds.
You are incorrect. It was noted that all of the precinct captains received the message directly from the campaign. This was in the article that Mark Stein wrote about the whole sorted deal.
http://www.steynonline.com/7445/that-smell-isnt-the-ethanol
To believe that Cruz STOLE Iowa through a forwarded TWEET or a campaign mailer that both Iow GOP and Rubio both used, you have to believe that a video or a cartoon causes Islamic terrorism.
Who leaked it to CNN? I have a feeling who that LITTLE BIRDIE might be....
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/06/politics/ben-carson-barry-bennett-donald-trump/
Another sleazy scumbag working for Trump!
http://wtvr.com/2015/11/20/trump-gives-himself-credit-for-carson-campaign-free-fall/
Trumps attacks in November is the real reason for Dr. Carson’s sinking in polls, funding, and votes. Carson has not been running a serious campaign. After he refused to refute Trumps baseless allegations in November, is the only reason he continues to use the issue against Cruz.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-carson-campaign-freefall/2015/11/19/id/702939/
For all intents and purposes, a vote for Carson is a wasted vote. All if this is only for benefit of one person who is the LEAST conservative...the bloated windbag DUcking Donald.
https://www.conservativereview.com/commentary/2016/02/amid-diminished-fundraising-ben-carson-is-cutting-staff#sthash.LjoPdwFE.dpuf
Trump is using Carson to prepare for the 3rd party run he’s always planned and make way for his “good friend†Hellary.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/11/politics/ben-carson-donald-trump-leave-republican-party-threat/
Mostly because of Trump and the media. The media has a love/hate for Trump. They love him for the ratings and even somewhat love his bull-in-the-china-shop ways.
The media can pick a mess and magnify it as it suits them. Right now FOX will use Trump to help eliminate those they don’t want. There’s plenty that they have to take Trump out, but they haven’t went there with a determination...yet. They will.
FOX will start first, before the nomination and the rest will start after, in order to help the democrats and the democrats will be brutal.
As much as some have tried to help the destruction along and even been ecstatic in doing so, I won’t cry when I watch it happen to Trump but I will be sick to watch us lose an election that is so winnable.
Very thoughtful post and I agree. The only reason I will vote for Trump is the same reason I would have voted for Steve Forbes, businessman, I do believe Trump can create JOBS. I tell my children in life just go to work it makes up for and fixes a lot of things, Chop Wood ,Carry Water!
No, I’m not incorrect. What’s missing are first-hand reports. There are a number of FReepers who were at Iowa caucuses. How many of them heard the Carson story there?
Only a small fraction of Cruz precinct reps had any contact with the campaign during or immediately before the caucuses. I went to several after-parties for several candidates. It wasn’t a topic there either. The fact that attendees noticed phone messages or e-mails a day later is irrelevant.
Ever been to an Iowa caucus? Seventy five percent of them are in counties with less than 25,000 people total and the average age of the attendee is retirement age. There aren’t a lot of people camped out on their smart phones and tablets.
I’ve spoken to a variety of people in maybe 20 different caucus locations. In my own caucus there was no mention of the Carson story. Only three or four caucuses reported hearing the ‘news’.
People are just engaging in fantasies.
Zzzzzzz.
What was Cruz polling at before putting out the story that Carson was dropping out?
From the words of the Cruz campaign, they notified all precinct captains. Whether the captains actually made mention of it appears to be in question according to your account. The fact remains is the campaign admitted sending the messages to them all.
Two different questions. One is, did Cruz try to cheat? Another is, was the outcome affected?
I should add this:
The caucus rules were that it would open with the Pledge (and a prayer), electing a permanent chair, and then immediately going to time-limited appeals from candidate reps.
In a couple of cases, I spoke to people who said that someone did mention the ‘news’ privately, but that the Cruz rep had already spoken and no one attempting to bring the ‘news’ to everyone’s attention.
I’ve always said the difference between republicans and democrats is that when a republican does something wrong republican voters are quick to condemn while the democrats make excuses. I don’t see that difference anymore.
Like democrats, Cruz supporters will make excuses until the last dog dies. Even after Cruz apologized. In fact, I’ve never seen a post that said “What Cruz did was wrong but he apologized so let’s move on.”
“Wow, if a person is so easily devastated maybe they should never get out of bed.”
Hmm. Let me get this right. Cruz lies and tells people Carson has dropped out. Carson’s people are crestfallen. They’re then attacked for being “easily devastated.”
Yep. Sounds reasonable.
For a Cruz supporter, that is.
I thought that was Rubio at a foam party.
But is is true that Tom Brady likes soft balls.
I understand your feelings here. I have been as you but I’m leaving all that behind this time. I’m totally filtering everything out that doesn’t have anything to do about building a WALL. I truly think Trump will build the wall and have it built in record time. Yes, all my hopes are this and I’m not ashamed to say it. All my other hopes were gone with the wind brushed away by mouthy politicians.
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