Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Campaign 2016

As Ben Carson slowly moves more into the spotlight, a bit more information is being highlighted. Personally, I get the sense that Carson is living in a partial fantasy world, that his strange closed eyes and slow speech are signs of metal aberration and not "thoughtfulness" (his thoughts, when he finally gets them out, are a jumble of shallow far right theories mixed with murky religiosity). And his story of having a violent temper as a teenager, attempting to stab his best friend but luckily breaking the knife on his buddy's belt buckle, then going into a fortress of solitude like state, emerging as Buddha... I suspect that is 98% boolshit.

Ben Carson

I think you're right. Not just right wing wingnut but total certifiable whacko.
Why am I not surprised?

do not know about that but i suspect he currently has anger problems. I have watched him in interviews and when the questions point to his gaffes his reaction is one of someone about to explode but then regains control. He obviously believes his beliefs and opinions are the only correct ones to have ... how can that be? ..... for he is the quizat haderach

for all the issues he has made extreme claims the one which gets me is his inability to understand his own position. He stated because Muslims do not believe the Constitution is the highest authority they should be disallowed from becoming president (and consequently any office which requires an oath to to uphold the Constitution to take office) and yet he believes God is the highest authority. Why doesn;t that disallow him for public office???

We have always had extremists apply for office but this election cycle says more about Americans by exposing the level of ignorance in America.

Carson reaches these absurd conclusions because he engages in what philosophers call "unreasoned beliefs" or "implicitly grounded" beliefs. In order to simplify his thought processes, he skips a few steps in the logical construction by "assuming" certain conditions. One of the assumptions is that "God" is an American Christian - so of course there is no conflict between the Constitution and Christianity because the Constitution is a Christian construct. It is a sloppy habit of thinking that strikes most politicians, although not just based upon Christian precepts. Most politicians believe that their thoughts are shared by their constituents, even if empirically that is demonstrably wrong. In another thread, for example, I pointed out that Ted Cruz was elected by only 625,000 voters out of 26 million - yet, he behaves as if his iconoclastic views represent not only all Texans, but all Americans. Most Americans (if polls are even slightly accurate) believe in same-sex marriage, gun control, Social Security, universal health care, and global climate change, among many other "mainstream" issues. That, however, does not influence the politicians.

Hillary Clinton, I believe, will win, because she is representing the views of most Americans in her positions. That, I think, will overwhelm the gerrymandering, the false narratives, etc. Bernie Sanders, too, is doing well because he is striking many of the same chords. Trump is doing well among the party base because he is appealing to their narratives - but those narratives only apply to about 30% of the GOP primary voting base. That is the ceiling of support that he and Carson will achieve.

This is SOP for conservatives i.e. assuming the conclusions of predetermination. Suppose I told my math profs my proof of a complex theorem was just IO (intuitively obvious). What was the basis of my proof? O .... I believe it is true

When these folks are pressed they use the get out of jail free card i.e. I believe it is true ..... really!!!!! .... and that is suppose to let them off the hook

Modern conservatives have abandoned rational thought in favor of a theology of irrational memes.

Trump did well tonight, I thought. He didn't get all cray-cray. Jeb told Marco to go to work because he's missing too many Senate votes. Ted went on to be a crybaby and used up his time to rant on regarding the MSM instead of answering the question.

Didn't watch. Exceeded my tolerance level.

They've taught me that even clowns can be boring...

Mike Huckabee claimed at last night's debate that he's run up against the "Clinton Machine" and is still alive to tell about. Huckster is playing on the RWing paranoia that those who cross the Clinton's some how end up dead.

...but, Mike Huckabee has never run in an election - not for president, for not governor, not for undersecretary of the PTA - against a Clinton. Never. Not once.

Huckster is your typical Rwingnut liar extraordinaire to pull something out of his piehole and say it as it were true.

Makes you wonder why he is running at all???