Althouse: The surgin' surgeon.

October 23, 2015

The surgin' surgeon.

"Carson Surges Past Trump in Latest Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll."

58 comments:

pm317 said...: Makes it easy for Hillary. Or it is a Republican ploy to get Trump out.; 10/23/15, 8:37 AM
Once written, twice... said...: Hillbillies in action and tanking the Republican Party. Can you say President Hillary Clinton? Yes we can!; 10/23/15, 8:42 AM
Bob Ellison said...: He's raising lots of money, too. If he throws a champagne and caviar fundraiser, then you will be able to call him...

...the sturgeon surgeon.; 10/23/15, 8:42 AM
John Henry said...: I find Carson's candidacy amazing. I like him a lot and think he would be a good president but he is Ralph Ellison's "Invisible [black] man" squared. I read almost nothing about him except how well he is doing in the polls.

When I read about the consequences of Trump running out of steam, the writer usually talks about how Cruz (or Rubio or Bush or someone) will jump into the lead. If, and it is looking less likely by the day, Trump stumbles or drops out, what happens to his voters? Under pretty much any count I can come up with, Carson is still out in front of the others. Yet he is never mentioned.

Seems like racism to me.

Or perhaps it is because of his funny religion. He is a 7th Day Adventist. A very large but not well known denomination. Lots of people seem to conflate them with Jehovah's Witnesses.

SDA is actually a pretty straightforward religion belief wise. About the only big difference between SDA and Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans etc is that SDAs keep the Sabbath (Saturday, the "Seventh" or last day of the week) and most others keep "the Lord's Day" (Sunday or the first day of the week). Also a lot of emphasis on health.

Yes, of course, there are lots of relatively minor doctrinal differences and emphases. But in the main, SDA is pretty mainstream.

I and my family are SDA.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 8:42 AM
Bob Ellison said...: That's an interesting talking point, Once written, twice. I gather someone at the home office sent out a memo that "Ben Carson is, like, rully stupid". I've seen it from you, from garage mahal, and here and there on other web sites. Can you point me to the primary text?; 10/23/15, 8:44 AM
Jaq said...: Hillbillies in action and tanking the Republican Party. Can you say President Hillary Clinton? Yes we can!

Ha! She is losing in blue Pennsylvania to Trump by 5.

But not to worry, there are still 2% of voters who haven't made up their mind about how they feel about Hillary!; 10/23/15, 8:45 AM
chickelit said...: Once written, twice... said...
Hillbillies in action and tanking the Republican Party. Can you say President Hillary Clinton? Yes we can!

¡Sí se pudende!; 10/23/15, 8:47 AM
MikeR said...: Eisenhower for President! Does a president need to be a professional politician? Personally I'm tired of professional politicians.
I would understand that it makes no sense to appoint a Speaker of the House who isn't a pro.; 10/23/15, 8:53 AM
Jaq said...: The only Republican losing to Clinton in blue PA is Bush.; 10/23/15, 8:53 AM
Once written, twice... said...: Hillary will be naming at least the next four justices to the Supreme Court. Cool!; 10/23/15, 8:56 AM
Once written, twice... said...: Keepin' the hillbillies on the run!!!; 10/23/15, 8:57 AM
tim maguire said...: Interesting that Fiorina is so many people's second choice. She and Rubio stand to gain the most from a winnowing of the field.; 10/23/15, 9:00 AM
chickelit said...: Once written, twice... said...
Hillary will be naming at least the next four justices to the Supreme Court. Cool!

What? She's planning to "foster" the retirement demise of four current members?; 10/23/15, 9:04 AM
Michael K said...: "Hillary will be naming at least the next four justices to the Supreme Court. Cool!"

I wonder which will be the Muslim one ?; 10/23/15, 9:08 AM
Rick said...: I think this is the beginning of the end for Trump. In any campaign much of the frontrunner's support is soft. Many people are mostly interested in electability and believe anyone their party generally supports must be legitimate. But if someone else is able to challenge that those people will freely move.

Many people who say they support him don't actually know much about his positions, and know even less about other candidates' positions. As we draw closer more and more people are going to pay attention. It's this attention in the locations where the votes are taken that has unmasked pretenders - like Howard Dean and Rudy Giuliani - in the past.

This is good for Carson, but it's also good for the rest of the field. Once the frontrunner's support starts to evaporate the end generally comes quickly. This would leave the rest of the field to consolidate into a race against Carson. The sooner this happens the better for everyone except Jeb Bush. The longer the available publicity is taken by Trump and Carson the less remains for the non-Carson candidate. Jeb starts that race with a lead due to his money, name recognition, and establishment support.

So if you want someone besides Jeb you should be rooting for a Trump implosion.; 10/23/15, 9:12 AM
John Henry said...: I think this is the beginning of the end for Trump.

Whistling past the graveyard?

First it was comments on immigrants that was gonna do it.

then McCain

Then the Fox newsreader

Then something else

Then something else

Yet he is still up there.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 9:15 AM
John Henry said...: As I said "Invisible Man". You are all making my point for me.

Post was about Carson, with a couple of exceptions, the comments are discussing everyone BUT Carson.

Just like the drive by media.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 9:18 AM
Jaq said...: I have to admit, I liked the way trump handled that heckler in Iowa who was pretending to be a reporter.

Once written is in the voter suppression arm of the Democrat machine. It his her job to discourage Republican votes. I guess she feels that calling people "hillbillies" will keep people home. I am sure nobody in the Arkansas mafia would ever be considered a "hillbilly" either by anybody.; 10/23/15, 9:19 AM
Hunter said...: Whistling past the graveyard?

Always be skeptical of predictions that just happen to be what the predictor would like to happen, especially if it's your prediction. On the other hand, Trump has already given himself an out by saying he would drop out if his poll numbers fall. It seems odd for him to say that if he really intends and expects to win the nomination.; 10/23/15, 9:23 AM
Rick said...: John Henry said...

Yet he is still up there.

Maybe you should look at the headline again.

This argument is no different than that Obama was always going to win because he had a lead before the conventions were even held. Or that Ronald Reagan was going to lose because he was behind. Things change. How fast you run the race is at least as important as where you start.; 10/23/15, 9:24 AM
John Henry said...: One of my fantasies is that Trump and Carson, who seem to like and admire each other, hold a joint press conference. Or perhaps do it at the next debate.

They say something like "I am in this race to win. When I win, I will name Carson/Trump as my VP running mate."

The other says "I am in this race to win but if second will be happy to serve as Carson's/Trumps's VP."

Sarah Palin originally broached the idea of an activist Senate President (VP). A Trump or a Carson, becauseneither is beholden to the party, could do the same thing.

The VP may have no powers and the Senate President may have no vote. But the Senate President does have some powers, very dusty and little used nowadays. One of the big ones is control of debates. It would be interesting to see someone use them.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 9:24 AM
Writ Small said...: “@mygreenhippo #BenCarson is now leading in the #polls in #Iowa. Too much #Monsanto in the #corn creates issues in the brain? #Trump #GOP“

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2015

True to form, Trump lashes out at those who don't show him proper respect, in this case Iowa voters.; 10/23/15, 9:36 AM
garage mahal said...: Somebody wake Ben from his nap and break the great news.; 10/23/15, 9:37 AM
Laslo Spatula said...: Playboy never ran two consecutive issues with black Playmates.

Extrapolate the the Presidency, maybe.

I am Laslo.; 10/23/15, 9:40 AM
Michael K said...: Carson is a very interesting guy. The left comments are clearly racist but the left is convinced that blacks are all stupid and cannot make it in the world without the left's benign supervision of those children.

He is a brilliant guy with an interesting background. The Seventh Adventist religion is very much into medicine. When I was a medical student and intern the College of Medical Evangelists ran the other service at LA County Hospital. The next year they moved to Loma Linda, a small city in San Bernardino County and the school changed its name to Loma Linda. They are an excellent medical center and the chief of cardiac surgery pioneered infant heart transplants.

Plus, they don't believe in psychiatry, which always endeared them to me. JH can correct me if that has changed. Plus they are vegetarians.

Anyway, Carson has a very interesting personality and I think that is his strength. He ignores the racism which is, in my own experience with students, the Achilles Heel of American blacks. They obsess about it and foreign black students are puzzled and a bit weirded out by it. He seems immune.

I'm not ready to vote for him but he is very interesting.; 10/23/15, 9:52 AM
John Henry said...: Plus, they don't believe in psychiatry, which always endeared them to me. JH can correct me if that has changed. Plus they are vegetarians.

I've never heard about not believing in psychiatry.

Many SDAs are vegetarian but many are not. It is a church recommendation, not church doctrine. We do follow the Levitican dietary laws as doctrine. No pork, shellfish and so on.

I would also mention that Loma Linda is an SDA hopspital/medical school. They did the first baboon heart transplant in 1984, IIRC.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 10:03 AM
garage mahal said...: Carson thinks evolution is the work of Satan. What the hell is wrong with Republicans?; 10/23/15, 10:04 AM
Paul said...: 74% of likely R voters say Trump will be the nominee.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2016/trump_change; 10/23/15, 10:05 AM
Hagar said...: Carson is not much for TV soundbites, but what he says makes sense when you think about it, and he knows right from wrong. I think he would do fine as president.
And a Carson/Fiorina ticket would be very entertaining to see Hillary! and the Democrats run against!; 10/23/15, 10:05 AM
Anonymous said...: Wit Small: True to form, Trump lashes out at those who don't show him proper respect, in this case Iowa voters.

Probably trying to solidify his cred as a real Republican by dissing potential voters.; 10/23/15, 10:05 AM
grimson said...: As noted in the first sentence, "Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson has moved into a dominant position in Iowa, surpassing former front-runner Donald Trump as evangelical Christians begin to coalesce around him. . ."

The evangelicals in Iowa just continue to gum up the works for a successful, national, Republican candidate, foisting the likes of Huckabee and Santorum onto the national stage instead.; 10/23/15, 10:09 AM
Michael K said...: "I've never heard about not believing in psychiatry. "

When we were medical students the CME faculty were into other explanations for psych diagnoses. Of course, that was the era still of Freud. It was a plus for me.; 10/23/15, 10:10 AM
buwaya said...: I suspect Carson is ignored because he is difficult to attack overtly. It's a dodge around the racial sensitivity issues.
It would be VERY interesting if he is the nominee. I wonder how the Democrats would handle that.; 10/23/15, 10:10 AM
Michael K said...: "What the hell is wrong with Republicans?"

Yeah, I can't explain it. They also don't believe the oceans will rise 30 feet. Can you imagine ?; 10/23/15, 10:11 AM
John Henry said...: Blogger garage mahal said...

Carson thinks evolution is the work of Satan. What the hell is wrong with Republicans?

Citation?

That is certainly not normal SDA thinking and I've not heard it about Carson before.

Seems unlikely.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 10:11 AM
mikee said...: My wife was privileged to do a month of her Hopkins residency with Carson two decades ago. She can't stop praising the man as a mentor, a surgeon, a first class mind. He makes an impression, that is for sure, and it is a positive one.

So, like with Thomas, the left will decry him as an Uncle Tom, an Oreo, a sellout to his race. And like with Thomas, Carson will ignore it. Let's hope the rest of the country can.

Still, he can't beat Hillary, whose corruption and depths of evil cynicism have no known bounds.

An honest man like Carson can't beat a lying monster in a fair fight, and with Hillary, it won't be anything close to a fair fight. She is our next president, and God help us all during her four years a Destructor in Chief.

May a Reagonesque revival follow her, if such is still possible after her reign of horror.; 10/23/15, 10:16 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Although Herman Cain was a flash in the pan, this is the second election where an African-American is being taken seriously by the Republican electorate. A voting block that is contently accused of racism.

I love the hypocrisy of the left, not acknowledging any of it. It's ok though. I don't think the Republican's in Iowa that support this man see his skin color. The Democrats do. That's all they see.

It is shameful that white liberals engage in demonizing African-American leaders that might actually lead their people, and all people in a different direction. I think they would do the same to MLK if he were alive and active today, with all that stupid talk of Jesus, and his belief that our moral obligation to equality stems from the Word of God.; 10/23/15, 10:28 AM
Jay Vogt said...: Hillbilly Iowan here. . . .

For what it's worth (and that may not be much, as I like everyone else have a really rotten track record predicting the caucus results), the caucus results are still way up in the air.

Dr. Carson has done an admirable job of getting his name known here with the most prominent billboards and strategic radio. As best I can tell though he has no decernible ground game to organize and deliver caucus attendees. To be fair though, it's not clear who does.

Still with less than three months to go, I'd look for him not to cover the spread.

Last time Romney and Santorum pretty much tied. I could easily see four or five low double digit candidates - signifying . . . Uh . . .probably not much; 10/23/15, 10:46 AM
Anonymous said...: garage mahal: Carson thinks evolution is the work of Satan.

So, what, he like thinks evolution is real, he just thinks it's a bad thing? Looks like his ideas about evolution are pretty much in the same ballpark as progressives, then. I mean, progressives think human brains and behaviors stopped evolving after humans migrated out of Africa, and Satan plays a big role in their belief system, too, since they're always demon-izing anybody who points out that humans remain as subject to selection as any other animal. Plus the regular witch-hunts. Not that they implicitly invoke Satan for these, but, hey, you can't have a witch-hunt without Satan lurking around somewhere in the action.

So c'mon, garage, be a uniter, not a divider. You have more in common with your fellow creationists than you realize.; 10/23/15, 10:47 AM
YoungHegelian said...: @Anglelyne,

I will believe that the progressives have a problem with Creationism when they speak against its presence in the Black Churches.; 10/23/15, 10:56 AM
Paul said...: "I will believe that the progressives have a problem with Creationism when they speak against its presence in the Black Churches."

Leftists, being animated by emotion rather than reason, are quite at home sustaining severe cognitive dissonance. Thus those who process things through logic and reason are always flummoxed by the left's incoherence.

It is the same impasse experienced by rational males vs. irrational females and why patriarchal societies are more successful and the norm in nature.; 10/23/15, 11:08 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: @Michael K

I buy what you're saying about Dr. Carson. He seems like an exceptional man. However, I don't understand his rationale for running for president. Yes, I will vote for him against Hillary, no doubt, if he were to win the nomination. But I don't see his appeal as a candidate.

Rubio-Fiorino could beat Hillary (I think).; 10/23/15, 11:19 AM
Drago said...: garage mahal: "Somebody wake Ben from his nap and break the great news."

garage mahal: "Carson thinks evolution is the work of Satan. What the hell is wrong with Republicans?"

Wow. Garage really hates those uppity "blacky" neuro-surgeons.

Is it also because Carson opposes the carving up of black babies for profits? Or is it just a "blacky" thing?; 10/23/15, 11:27 AM
Michael K said...: " But I don't see his appeal as a candidate. "

I certainly wouldn't pick him and I don't know that I would vote for him in a primary but he is very interesting and as capable as some of the others to be president. I know that's a low bar but we are talking Hillary! here.; 10/23/15, 11:34 AM
Gusty Winds said...: garage mahal: "Somebody wake Ben from his nap and break the great news.",

Garage is a racist. And the worst kind of racist.

He doesn't tolerate or like African Americans who don't agree with him.; 10/23/15, 11:45 AM
Achilles said...: Bay Area Guy said...

"Rubio-Fiorino could beat Hillary (I think)."

Republicans will not win if they don't take what the majority of Americans think about amnesty/immigration seriously. This ticket obviously does not take that seriously.; 10/23/15, 11:46 AM
Achilles said...: garage mahal said...
"Somebody wake Ben from his nap and break the great news."

What a racist piece of shit you are.; 10/23/15, 11:46 AM
Bay Area Guy said...: @Achilles

Republicans will not win if they don't take what the majority of Americans think about amnesty/immigration seriously. This ticket obviously does not take that seriously.

Possibly, but tell me which ticket you think would garner a majority.; 10/23/15, 11:48 AM
Nichevo said...: Without offense to the redoubtable Dr. Carson, why don't fifty doctors with his records and character run for President? My cousin, or Dr. Michael K, might be a little older, but still quite wise perhaps, and with the obvious mental prequalifications.

Any doctor is smarter than any lawyer, at least that'd seem a safe bet most times. Imagine a Wisconsin medical board saying exams, shmexams, you went to school in WI so you get hospital privileges.; 10/23/15, 11:50 AM
Gusty Winds said...: In Huckleberry Finn, Huck's father can't stand it when he see's a black man in a nice suit. They shouldn't be wearing better clothes than him.

Seems much the same that Garage can't listen to, or offer any compliment toward a successful African American brain surgeon.

What's the difference between Garage's "wake Ben from his nap" comment, and "lazy 'N'-word"?

There is none.; 10/23/15, 11:52 AM
John Henry said...: For Michael K:

I just had lunch with my son, an MD, as asked him about SDA and psychiatry. He has never heard of any objection by the church about psychiatry. As far as he knows psychiatry is just another tool in the medical toolbox. I do know, or at least have met, at least one SDA psychiatrist.

I would say that in general, SDA emphasizes healthy eating and living as a way of minimizing the need for medical care. A healthy attitude, moral code, behavior whatever you want to call it, would also minimize the need for psychiatry.

But when church has nothing at all against medical care when needed. Including, AFAIK, psychiatry.

BTW: My son did his undergrad in genetics and biology and spent a summer semester at Hopkins working as an intern for a Nobelist in genetics. He was mainly growing eyeballs on the toes of newts via DNA manipulation. Also at U.Il doing something similar with rats and a summer at Mayo while in medical school, also in genetics. He has co-authored several papers with names I can't even pronounce in this field.

In other words, he knows genetics hands-on at the molecular level. He is not a big believer in evolution, at least not as it is popularly perceived. We've had some very interesting conversations about this over the years. Not long ones because he very quickly outruns my ability to follow the science.

John Henry; 10/23/15, 12:17 PM
Jaq said...: @Gusty Winds

LOL; 10/23/15, 12:17 PM
Anonymous said...: John Henry:

re SDA and medicine: ime, at least, in several cities/countries, SDA hospitals, clinics, and doctors tend to have very good reps.; 10/23/15, 12:59 PM
Bob Ellison said...: Well, if Ben Carson and John Henry are SDA examplars, we need more SDAers in public office.; 10/23/15, 1:52 PM
eric said...: I like Ben Carson, a lot. One of the things I get annoyed about though, is he had a tendency to give a speech where he would say, I'm not PC and I'm going to tell it like it is. Then, on NBC, CBS, or ABC, etc, he would walk it back. Try and explain. As if the media really didn't understand what he meant. And if he just explained it, they'd understand.

In this way, I love Trump. The believe Trump has taught Carson how to properly handle the media. Given him more knowledge about how the media actually operates. This has given Carson some cover (because no one cares about what Carson has said compared to what Trump has said) and some OJT.

It's almost as if Trump is there to take the heat off of Carson until he is ready to rise.

Carson is great, but he needed to learn to push back against the media. Stick to his positions, and not try and walk things back or apologize because the media wants it.; 10/23/15, 3:04 PM
bbkingfish said...: Trump is kaput.

He lost the GOPers when he said that G.W. Bush was President on September 11, 2001.

You can't say stuff like that and make it in Republicanland. It simply is unacceptable.; 10/23/15, 3:11 PM
garage mahal said...: RACIST!!!!!!; 10/23/15, 4:13 PM
John Henry said...: Blogger garage mahal said...

RACIST!!!!!!

Garage,

Aren't you from Madison, perhaps the most racist city in the US by the numbers?

Where do you get off calling ANYONE "racist"?

Are you the pot or the kettle?

John Henry; 10/23/15, 7:45 PM