The Fury of Ben Carson

politico.com ^ | February 4

[Helicondelta]

Five days from the New Hampshire primary, Ben Carson has yet to set foot in this state since his fourth-place finish in Iowa. His detour to Florida for a fresh set of clothes has become a running joke online. The candidate is, by all indications, consumed by what he calls the "dirty tricks" of Ted Cruz's campaign.

"Dr. Carson feels absolutely robbed, violated," said Armstrong Williams, a Carson confidant, in a phone interview. "He realizes, the Democrats are not his enemies trying to malign him. It's people who smile in his face, shake his hand, go out to dinner with him -- and yet, they're trying to destroy him behind his back."

Carson was fading before Iowa, and an exit from the race after Monday's caucuses was not a farfetched scenario. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported he's cutting staff and salaries to rein in exorbitant campaign spending. But the Cruz episode has given Carson renewed purpose, and he now looks determined to spend whatever time he has left in the campaign making the Texan pay.

[Gaffer]

The last gasp of a dead campaign. It just ain’t gonna work - again.

[Dalberg-Acton]

Is Politico a reliable source?

[Lx]

It is when it supports someone’s case.

[Yashcheritsiy]

His detour to Florida for a fresh set of clothes has become a running joke online.

Maybe he felt dirty just being in the same state as Ted Cruz?

[Trumpinator]

It was not an innocent misunderstanding, Cruz supporters. Please don’t use that excuse again.

[Durbin]

I like Carson, but he’s being used for ratings. Acting like a victim. It’s sad to see him fall off like this.

[freeangel]

I lost all respect for Dr Carson when he failed to investigate the actual reasons this happened and falsely jumped all over Ted Cruz. His staff was already jumping ship to the Cruz campaign before this happened. He, undoubtedly , feels more embarrassed than anything at this point—and with good reason.

[struggle]

[demshateGod]

CNN reported that Carson is dropping out because it’s true. Carson doesn’t want people to know he’s dropping out. Why? We could speculate, but many have thought that Carson’s behavior throughout the campaign shows that he never was very serious and was just accepting contributions for a book tour.

[Colofornian]

My take is it's feigned "fury" because he's gone after a SINGLE Cruz staffer & given a free pass to the multiple Rubio staffers passing on the same rumor.

If it stuck in Carson's craw, he would have gone after Rubio w/the same vengeance.

He hasn't.
He won't.
'Nuff said.
Put it to rest & stop living in the past.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


At two GOP Debate Watch Parties (Quaker Steak & Lube, St. Pete, FL) I have openly praised Dr. Ben Carson and encouraged all attendees to watch his movie "Gifted Hands", although I am an official Ted Cruz Florida Campaigner.

Having said that, Dr. Ben Carson, as brilliant as he is, has run a disasterous Presidential Campaign.



Dr. Ben Carson is now whining about a pathetic fourth-place Iowa finish, BLOWING his previous 4-week straight Iowa polling lead.

And of course, it's ALL Ted Cruz's fault.


It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Donald Trump called Ben Carson a violent psychopath ... and Ben Carson did a lousy job of fighting back (/sarcasm-off).

It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Ben Carson embraced a lunatic theory about Egyptian Pyramids (/sarcasm-off).



It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Ben Carson suspended his Presidntial campaign for two week to promote Carson's new book (/sarcasm-off).

It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that one-half of Ben Carson's campaign team leadership QUIT two weeks before the Iowa vote (/sarcasm-off).

It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Ben Carson wasted two weeks on a STUPID Middle East visit, instead of campaigning in all of Iowa's 99 counties (/sarcasm-off).

It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Dr. Ben Carson's debate performances have been PATHETIC ... or worse (/sarcasm-off).

It's clearly Ted Cruz's fault that Dr. Ben Carson announced that Carson was leaving Iowa for a Florida trip (and NOT campaigning in Iowas) ... (/sarcasm-off).



Picture yourself as an Iowa Caucus Voter.



If CNN had floated a political rumor that Donald Trump was going to suspend his campaign after Iowa ... NO ONE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT.

Why ?

Donald Trump (like him or not) is a GENUINELY serious Presidential candidate.



If CNN had floated a political rumor that Marco Rubio was going to suspend his campaign after Iowa ... NO ONE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT.

Why ?

Marco Rubio (like him or not) is a GENUINELY serious Presidential candidate.




In the 2016 GOP Presidential race, Dr. Ben Carson is simply a black version of Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, and Jim Gilmore.

Maybe nice guys ... but NONE really serious about getting elected President.


At least Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum have had the grace and dignity to drop-out.



All Dr. Ben Carson wants to do is whine about BLOWING his (once incredible) Iowa lead ...

Maybe Dr. Ben Carson can go contemplate his "political stupidity" in one of those Egyptian Pyramid Grain Silos ...


.

[gdani]

As anyone yet dug up a single Iowa voter who switched from Carson to Cruz based on what they heard from Cruz’s campaign or CNN?

[jstaff]

please don’t lecture us again.

[svcw]

25,000 votes separated Cruz and Carson, even if some changed their votes, it was not 25,000 people.
Carson polled in forth place, he placed forth.
Rubio polled in third, he came in third.
Cruz and Trump were first, second, second, first, Cruz came in first, Trump second.
Just move on doctor, you were never going to be first in Iowa.

[Trumpinator]

No. Thanks.

[demshateGod]

If we we can catch a little mouse man we can see some little feet too.

Yeah, he didn’t want someone else to say he was getting out. Did he want to keep getting contributions so he could keep traveling places that hand nothing to do with primaries while his empty bus drove around Iowa? Probably something like that. So now he’s just going to stay in to hurt Cruz? Nice. We’re going to have a Marxist or Fascist president if God doesn’t intervene in a special way.

[Fhios]

Carson has been a lightweight since the beginning. We all knew that. His inarticulate mind stuttering style didn t do him any good. His epitaph should read: He had some great lines, I just can t remember them right now.

The media pushed him into the lead early, then they pulled the rug out from underneath him. Case closed. It was always a matter of when. The question now remains is a Carson endorsement going to mean anything? Who can he really endorse?

[CA Conservative]

You know, throughout this campaign Trump has pulled some really outrageous stuff - comparing Carson to a child molester, making fun of Carly’s appearance, etc. And the reaction of the Trump supporters has been “politics ain’t beanbag.” But the Cruz campaign uses a news report from CNN and suddenly that is the worst thing that has ever happened in an election since Kennedy stole the election from Nixon!

[bramps]

Not a jab at any candidate, just amusing that there isn’t a single quote from Carson in the article.