Is Ben Carson running for president - or is he a perfect con artist?

[KevinMcCarthyToo]

On February 7, 2013, Ben Carson appeared at a National Prayer Breakfast, where he visibly annoyed President Obama by delivering a right-wing speech denouncing Obamacare and cultural liberalism, and calling for a flat tax based on the biblical tithe. Conservatives, still devastated by Obama’s reelection, took delight in the appearance on the scene of a surprising new presidential antagonist, who until that point had no political profile. “Finally, a self-reliant conservative decided to make this every bit as political as Obama does,” tweeted conservative pundit David Limbaugh.The Wall Street Journal celebrated Carson’s remarks in a short editorial, headlined “Ben Carson for President.” The headline was obviously hyperbolic; nothing in the text that followed proposed that Carson run for public office.

But now Carson actually is running for president. Or is he? It is hard to tell. Conservative politics are so closely intermingled with a lucrative entertainment complex that it is frequently impossible to distinguish between a political project (that is, something designed to result in policy change) and a money-making venture. Declaring yourself a presidential candidate gives you access to millions of dollars' worth of free media attention that can build a valuable brand. So the mere fact that Carson calls himself a presidential candidate does not prove he is actually running for president rather than taking advantage of the opportunity to build his brand. Indeed, it is possible to be actually leading the polls without seriously trying to win the presidency.

And the notion that Carson could be president is preposterous. The problem is not only that he has never run for elected office. He has never managed a large organization; he has not worked in and around public policy, and he lacks a competent grasp of issues. His stance on health care, the closest thing to an issue with which his professional experience has brought him into contact, is gibberish. He mostly thrills audiences by scoffing at evolution and insisting Muslims be barred from the presidency, stances he cannot even defend coherently.

It is possible that Carson has come to genuinely believe that he is qualified to serve as president. (As a follower of the conspiracy theorist W. Cleon Skousen, Carson seems to subscribe in earnest to a series of completely fantastical beliefs.) It is also possible that Carson is being manipulated by staffers who stand to profit off their association with him. But the most likely explanation for his behavior is that Carson himself is in this thing to make a lot of money.

Carson is doing a lot of things that seem puzzling for a presidential campaign, but quite logical for a brand-building exercise. He is taking weeks off the campaign trail to go on a book tour. His campaign itself is structured much more like a scamming venture than a political one. An astronomical 69 percent of his fund-raising totals are spent on more fund-raising. (Bernie Sanders, by contrast, spends just 4 percent of his intake on fund-raising.) In addition to direct mail, Carson seems to have undertaken a massive phone-spamming operation. Spending most of your money to raise more money is not a good way to get elected president, but it is a good way to build a massive list of supporters that can later be monetized. Perhaps it is a giveaway that the official title for Armstrong Williams, the figure running the Carson “campaign,” is “business manager,” as opposed to “campaign manager.” It does suggests that Carson is engaged in a for-profit venture.

Carson’s combination of flamboyantly reactionary statements and subdued (to the point of appearing medicated) persona lend him an aura of trust and honesty. Carson’s supporters see him as a brave truth-teller; his critics think he’s genuinely nuts. Even those concerned with his methods grant him the presumption of innocence — right-wing commentator Erick Erickson, running down Carson’s astronomical fund-raising costs, frets, “I suspect there are some who see Carson as a cash cow.” But it is a fallacy to imagine that a kook cannot also be a scammer. There is a long tradition of cult leaders, televangelists, and other snake-oil salesmen who were both.

Carson’s relationship with Mannatech, a medical-supplement operator that uses misleading claims to exploit Christian customers, may provide the most revealing window into his methodology. Consider the utterly calm and putatively genuine way in which Carson flatly denied a question at the last debate about his business relationship with Mannatech: (see video)

If you have the facts in mind — Carson maintained an extensive relationship with the company — when you watch this answer, his unflinching dishonesty has a chilling quality. He is a perfect con artist. And his history with Mannatech seems to serve as a precursor to his current enterprise. Carson used his inspiring story to pitch credulous (overwhelmingly Christian) customers. Carson has simply moved on to a bigger stage and cut out the middleman. The old scam was using the Ben Carson brand to pitch Mannatech. The new scam is pitching Ben Carson.

Video: Is Ben Carson Running for President? By Jonathan Chait

I can't imagine that Carson is actually really running for president. However, I can clearly imagine that he is running a major scam on gullible people.

Quiet.

Dem Racists at work

Right. We just voted for one......twice

 

[CrusaderFrank]

On February 7, 2013, Ben Carson appeared at a National Prayer Breakfast, where he visibly annoyed President Obama by delivering a right-wing speech denouncing Obamacare and cultural liberalism, and calling for a flat tax based on the biblical tithe. Conservatives, still devastated by Obama’s reelection, took delight in the appearance on the scene of a surprising new presidential antagonist, who until that point had no political profile. “Finally, a self-reliant conservative decided to make this every bit as political as Obama does,” tweeted conservative pundit David Limbaugh.The Wall Street Journal celebrated Carson’s remarks in a short editorial, headlined “Ben Carson for President.” The headline was obviously hyperbolic; nothing in the text that followed proposed that Carson run for public office.

But now Carson actually is running for president. Or is he? It is hard to tell. Conservative politics are so closely intermingled with a lucrative entertainment complex that it is frequently impossible to distinguish between a political project (that is, something designed to result in policy change) and a money-making venture. Declaring yourself a presidential candidate gives you access to millions of dollars' worth of free media attention that can build a valuable brand. So the mere fact that Carson calls himself a presidential candidate does not prove he is actually running for president rather than taking advantage of the opportunity to build his brand. Indeed, it is possible to be actually leading the polls without seriously trying to win the presidency.

And the notion that Carson could be president is preposterous. The problem is not only that he has never run for elected office. He has never managed a large organization; he has not worked in and around public policy, and he lacks a competent grasp of issues. His stance on health care, the closest thing to an issue with which his professional experience has brought him into contact, is gibberish. He mostly thrills audiences by scoffing at evolution and insisting Muslims be barred from the presidency, stances he cannot even defend coherently.

It is possible that Carson has come to genuinely believe that he is qualified to serve as president. (As a follower of the conspiracy theorist W. Cleon Skousen, Carson seems to subscribe in earnest to a series of completely fantastical beliefs.) It is also possible that Carson is being manipulated by staffers who stand to profit off their association with him. But the most likely explanation for his behavior is that Carson himself is in this thing to make a lot of money.

Carson is doing a lot of things that seem puzzling for a presidential campaign, but quite logical for a brand-building exercise. He is taking weeks off the campaign trail to go on a book tour. His campaign itself is structured much more like a scamming venture than a political one. An astronomical 69 percent of his fund-raising totals are spent on more fund-raising. (Bernie Sanders, by contrast, spends just 4 percent of his intake on fund-raising.) In addition to direct mail, Carson seems to have undertaken a massive phone-spamming operation. Spending most of your money to raise more money is not a good way to get elected president, but it is a good way to build a massive list of supporters that can later be monetized. Perhaps it is a giveaway that the official title for Armstrong Williams, the figure running the Carson “campaign,” is “business manager,” as opposed to “campaign manager.” It does suggests that Carson is engaged in a for-profit venture.

Carson’s combination of flamboyantly reactionary statements and subdued (to the point of appearing medicated) persona lend him an aura of trust and honesty. Carson’s supporters see him as a brave truth-teller; his critics think he’s genuinely nuts. Even those concerned with his methods grant him the presumption of innocence — right-wing commentator Erick Erickson, running down Carson’s astronomical fund-raising costs, frets, “I suspect there are some who see Carson as a cash cow.” But it is a fallacy to imagine that a kook cannot also be a scammer. There is a long tradition of cult leaders, televangelists, and other snake-oil salesmen who were both.

Carson’s relationship with Mannatech, a medical-supplement operator that uses misleading claims to exploit Christian customers, may provide the most revealing window into his methodology. Consider the utterly calm and putatively genuine way in which Carson flatly denied a question at the last debate about his business relationship with Mannatech: (see video)

If you have the facts in mind — Carson maintained an extensive relationship with the company — when you watch this answer, his unflinching dishonesty has a chilling quality. He is a perfect con artist. And his history with Mannatech seems to serve as a precursor to his current enterprise. Carson used his inspiring story to pitch credulous (overwhelmingly Christian) customers. Carson has simply moved on to a bigger stage and cut out the middleman. The old scam was using the Ben Carson brand to pitch Mannatech. The new scam is pitching Ben Carson.

Video: Is Ben Carson Running for President? By Jonathan Chait

I can't imagine that Carson is actually really running for president. However, I can clearly imagine that he is running a major scam on gullible people.

Quiet.

Dem Racists at work

Right. We just voted for one......twice

No Obama voters are Racists?? Lol

 

[Staidhup]

Racists are not necessarily white or black its a state of mind, pitting one group against another with the common denominator being that of race. So a black man can in fact be racist, as we all are aware of.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

On February 7, 2013, Ben Carson appeared at a National Prayer Breakfast, where he visibly annoyed President Obama by delivering a right-wing speech denouncing Obamacare and cultural liberalism, and calling for a flat tax based on the biblical tithe. Conservatives, still devastated by Obama’s reelection, took delight in the appearance on the scene of a surprising new presidential antagonist, who until that point had no political profile. “Finally, a self-reliant conservative decided to make this every bit as political as Obama does,” tweeted conservative pundit David Limbaugh.The Wall Street Journal celebrated Carson’s remarks in a short editorial, headlined “Ben Carson for President.” The headline was obviously hyperbolic; nothing in the text that followed proposed that Carson run for public office.

But now Carson actually is running for president. Or is he? It is hard to tell. Conservative politics are so closely intermingled with a lucrative entertainment complex that it is frequently impossible to distinguish between a political project (that is, something designed to result in policy change) and a money-making venture. Declaring yourself a presidential candidate gives you access to millions of dollars' worth of free media attention that can build a valuable brand. So the mere fact that Carson calls himself a presidential candidate does not prove he is actually running for president rather than taking advantage of the opportunity to build his brand. Indeed, it is possible to be actually leading the polls without seriously trying to win the presidency.

And the notion that Carson could be president is preposterous. The problem is not only that he has never run for elected office. He has never managed a large organization; he has not worked in and around public policy, and he lacks a competent grasp of issues. His stance on health care, the closest thing to an issue with which his professional experience has brought him into contact, is gibberish. He mostly thrills audiences by scoffing at evolution and insisting Muslims be barred from the presidency, stances he cannot even defend coherently.

It is possible that Carson has come to genuinely believe that he is qualified to serve as president. (As a follower of the conspiracy theorist W. Cleon Skousen, Carson seems to subscribe in earnest to a series of completely fantastical beliefs.) It is also possible that Carson is being manipulated by staffers who stand to profit off their association with him. But the most likely explanation for his behavior is that Carson himself is in this thing to make a lot of money.

Carson is doing a lot of things that seem puzzling for a presidential campaign, but quite logical for a brand-building exercise. He is taking weeks off the campaign trail to go on a book tour. His campaign itself is structured much more like a scamming venture than a political one. An astronomical 69 percent of his fund-raising totals are spent on more fund-raising. (Bernie Sanders, by contrast, spends just 4 percent of his intake on fund-raising.) In addition to direct mail, Carson seems to have undertaken a massive phone-spamming operation. Spending most of your money to raise more money is not a good way to get elected president, but it is a good way to build a massive list of supporters that can later be monetized. Perhaps it is a giveaway that the official title for Armstrong Williams, the figure running the Carson “campaign,” is “business manager,” as opposed to “campaign manager.” It does suggests that Carson is engaged in a for-profit venture.

Carson’s combination of flamboyantly reactionary statements and subdued (to the point of appearing medicated) persona lend him an aura of trust and honesty. Carson’s supporters see him as a brave truth-teller; his critics think he’s genuinely nuts. Even those concerned with his methods grant him the presumption of innocence — right-wing commentator Erick Erickson, running down Carson’s astronomical fund-raising costs, frets, “I suspect there are some who see Carson as a cash cow.” But it is a fallacy to imagine that a kook cannot also be a scammer. There is a long tradition of cult leaders, televangelists, and other snake-oil salesmen who were both.

Carson’s relationship with Mannatech, a medical-supplement operator that uses misleading claims to exploit Christian customers, may provide the most revealing window into his methodology. Consider the utterly calm and putatively genuine way in which Carson flatly denied a question at the last debate about his business relationship with Mannatech: (see video)

If you have the facts in mind — Carson maintained an extensive relationship with the company — when you watch this answer, his unflinching dishonesty has a chilling quality. He is a perfect con artist. And his history with Mannatech seems to serve as a precursor to his current enterprise. Carson used his inspiring story to pitch credulous (overwhelmingly Christian) customers. Carson has simply moved on to a bigger stage and cut out the middleman. The old scam was using the Ben Carson brand to pitch Mannatech. The new scam is pitching Ben Carson.

Video: Is Ben Carson Running for President? By Jonathan Chait

I can't imagine that Carson is actually really running for president. However, I can clearly imagine that he is running a major scam on gullible people.

you know what I find creepy? The way he compulsively wrings his hands when he talks.

I mentioned that the other day. Its a tic, very weird and creepy.

He also has a tell when he's lying - looks down and/or closes his eyes.

Lahkota is right - he's like a slimy televangelist hawking for little old lady's money.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I wonder what the right would have said about Obama if he had said in 2008 that he had tried to stab a friend when he was a teenager, as Carson has confessed?

Pretty likely that was one of Carson's lies.

He also said he would rush a shooter but also recounted that when faced with a shooter, he told him to go shoot the guy behind the counter.

He's been caught in a lot of lies but then so have have the other Repub Clown Car Candidates.

 

[The VOR]

I wonder what the right would have said about Obama if he had said in 2008 that he had tried to stab a friend when he was a teenager, as Carson has confessed?

Pretty likely that was one of Carson's lies.

He also said he would rush a shooter but also recounted that when faced with a shooter, he told him to go shoot the guy behind the counter.

He's been caught in a lot of lies but then so have have the other Repub Clown Car Candidates.

Doctor Demento will fade away like the trumpster will. Both of these losers will be gone soon. But then again, never underestimate the stupidity of the right.

 

[Papageorgio]

My deceased grandmother would have sent her last dollar to a smooth con artist like Carson. I wonder how many older folks are currently doing the same thing.

Better Carson than the con artist Hillary?

 

[Staidhup]

The danger to the liberal mindset of a Carson republican candidacy for president is that he is black, proven success in the real word, articulate, believes in God, Constitution, liberty, believes that one can rise above adversity without the governments help, and is not a democrat. So they attack him because heaven forbid a black man exposes the lies handed down by the liberal political machine. Fact, if he was a democrat they would love him!

 

[Lakhota]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

 

[mudwhistle]

On February 7, 2013, Ben Carson appeared at a National Prayer Breakfast, where he visibly annoyed President Obama by delivering a right-wing speech denouncing Obamacare and cultural liberalism, and calling for a flat tax based on the biblical tithe. Conservatives, still devastated by Obama’s reelection, took delight in the appearance on the scene of a surprising new presidential antagonist, who until that point had no political profile. “Finally, a self-reliant conservative decided to make this every bit as political as Obama does,” tweeted conservative pundit David Limbaugh.The Wall Street Journal celebrated Carson’s remarks in a short editorial, headlined “Ben Carson for President.” The headline was obviously hyperbolic; nothing in the text that followed proposed that Carson run for public office.

But now Carson actually is running for president. Or is he? It is hard to tell. Conservative politics are so closely intermingled with a lucrative entertainment complex that it is frequently impossible to distinguish between a political project (that is, something designed to result in policy change) and a money-making venture. Declaring yourself a presidential candidate gives you access to millions of dollars' worth of free media attention that can build a valuable brand. So the mere fact that Carson calls himself a presidential candidate does not prove he is actually running for president rather than taking advantage of the opportunity to build his brand. Indeed, it is possible to be actually leading the polls without seriously trying to win the presidency.

And the notion that Carson could be president is preposterous. The problem is not only that he has never run for elected office. He has never managed a large organization; he has not worked in and around public policy, and he lacks a competent grasp of issues. His stance on health care, the closest thing to an issue with which his professional experience has brought him into contact, is gibberish. He mostly thrills audiences by scoffing at evolution and insisting Muslims be barred from the presidency, stances he cannot even defend coherently.

It is possible that Carson has come to genuinely believe that he is qualified to serve as president. (As a follower of the conspiracy theorist W. Cleon Skousen, Carson seems to subscribe in earnest to a series of completely fantastical beliefs.) It is also possible that Carson is being manipulated by staffers who stand to profit off their association with him. But the most likely explanation for his behavior is that Carson himself is in this thing to make a lot of money.

Carson is doing a lot of things that seem puzzling for a presidential campaign, but quite logical for a brand-building exercise. He is taking weeks off the campaign trail to go on a book tour. His campaign itself is structured much more like a scamming venture than a political one. An astronomical 69 percent of his fund-raising totals are spent on more fund-raising. (Bernie Sanders, by contrast, spends just 4 percent of his intake on fund-raising.) In addition to direct mail, Carson seems to have undertaken a massive phone-spamming operation. Spending most of your money to raise more money is not a good way to get elected president, but it is a good way to build a massive list of supporters that can later be monetized. Perhaps it is a giveaway that the official title for Armstrong Williams, the figure running the Carson “campaign,” is “business manager,” as opposed to “campaign manager.” It does suggests that Carson is engaged in a for-profit venture.

Carson’s combination of flamboyantly reactionary statements and subdued (to the point of appearing medicated) persona lend him an aura of trust and honesty. Carson’s supporters see him as a brave truth-teller; his critics think he’s genuinely nuts. Even those concerned with his methods grant him the presumption of innocence — right-wing commentator Erick Erickson, running down Carson’s astronomical fund-raising costs, frets, “I suspect there are some who see Carson as a cash cow.” But it is a fallacy to imagine that a kook cannot also be a scammer. There is a long tradition of cult leaders, televangelists, and other snake-oil salesmen who were both.

Carson’s relationship with Mannatech, a medical-supplement operator that uses misleading claims to exploit Christian customers, may provide the most revealing window into his methodology. Consider the utterly calm and putatively genuine way in which Carson flatly denied a question at the last debate about his business relationship with Mannatech: (see video)

If you have the facts in mind — Carson maintained an extensive relationship with the company — when you watch this answer, his unflinching dishonesty has a chilling quality. He is a perfect con artist. And his history with Mannatech seems to serve as a precursor to his current enterprise. Carson used his inspiring story to pitch credulous (overwhelmingly Christian) customers. Carson has simply moved on to a bigger stage and cut out the middleman. The old scam was using the Ben Carson brand to pitch Mannatech. The new scam is pitching Ben Carson.

Video: Is Ben Carson Running for President? By Jonathan Chait

I can't imagine that Carson is actually really running for president. However, I can clearly imagine that he is running a major scam on gullible people.

Obama pulled the biggest con in U.S. History on you.....asshole.....and you still act like you can't see it.

It's rich that you're now accusing Ben Carson of being a con......or do you think all blacks are totally dishonest?

 

[Sun Devil 92]

My deceased grandmother would have sent her last dollar to a smooth con artist like Carson. I wonder how many older folks are currently doing the same thing.

Fewer than are being conned or blackmailed into supporting Hillary.

Go Bernie.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

Wow....a non-lawyer who worked in the private sector for President.

What an awful concept.

 

[Lakhota]

My deceased grandmother would have sent her last dollar to a smooth con artist like Carson. I wonder how many older folks are currently doing the same thing.

Fewer than are being conned or blackmailed into supporting Hillary.

Go Bernie.

Damn, can't any of you NaziCons ever just focus on the thread topic without drifting off into your derangement syndromes?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Did Carson succeed in getting out of poverty? Yes he did. Did he succeed in becoming a renowned neurosurgeon and a very successful man? Yes he did. And, I applaud him for his success, because it was only via hard work and a lot of effort, with a focus on a goal that got him there.

But, with that being said, I've known a few successful people who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and made a good life for themselves, and in many cases, I've disagreed with their social and political views, much like I do with Carson.

Does that mean I don't like those people and am biased against them? No, it means that I simply don't agree with them.

And, in many cases, people who are at the top of their game generally think that they are right almost all of the time, and while that may be true for the field that they have chosen their career in, if they are incapable of compromise and looking at ALL views that people in this country have (not necessarily agreeing with, but willing to look at and consider), then they have no business being a leader of this country.

 

[Lakhota]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

Wow....a non-lawyer who worked in the private sector for President.

What an awful concept.

Just keep sending him money!

 

[Sun Devil 92]

My deceased grandmother would have sent her last dollar to a smooth con artist like Carson. I wonder how many older folks are currently doing the same thing.

Fewer than are being conned or blackmailed into supporting Hillary.

Go Bernie.

Damn, can't any of you NaziCons ever just focus on the thread topic without drifting off into your derangement syndromes?

I am no more a far right winger than you are a liberal (I am more liberal than you).

Hillary is a scam artist.

You asked a question and I gave you an answer.

STFU

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

Wow....a non-lawyer who worked in the private sector for President.

What an awful concept.

Just keep sending him money!

My money is going to Bernie Sanders (for now).

I don't agree with Bernie on a lot of stuff.

But Bernie appears to be honest and have peoples interest at heart. I can go with that.

If anyone thing Hillary cares anything about the average person....they are morons.

 

[Lakhota]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

Wow....a non-lawyer who worked in the private sector for President.

What an awful concept.

Just keep sending him money!

My money is going to Bernie Sanders (for now).

I don't agree with Bernie on a lot of stuff.

But Bernie appears to be honest and have peoples interest at heart. I can go with that.

If anyone thing Hillary cares anything about the average person....they are morons.

Good for you. However, Bernie stands about as much chance of winning the General Election as Rain Man Carson.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Right now, my money is also with Bernie Sanders.

Whenever I see Ben Carson on television, I often wonder if he's just popped a couple of Valium, because he looks like he's about to go to sleep or pass out much of the time.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

Rain Man Carson, idiot savant, is now the national GOP frontrunner. That is hilarious! Good luck, NaziCons.

Wow....a non-lawyer who worked in the private sector for President.

What an awful concept.

Just keep sending him money!

My money is going to Bernie Sanders (for now).

I don't agree with Bernie on a lot of stuff.

But Bernie appears to be honest and have peoples interest at heart. I can go with that.

If anyone thing Hillary cares anything about the average person....they are morons.

Good for you. However, Bernie stands about as much chance of winning the General Election as Rain Man Carson.

O.K. So that excuses putting up a bald faced lying, self-centered, s**t for brains Hillary as a candidate.

You really think that when the time comes....she won't help repeal Obummercare ?

You bet she will.

She'll turn on the far left wing faster than Bill did.