This presidential campaign season started off as little more than a joke — a spectacle filled mostly with out-of-touch rich career politicians and “The Donald.” In fact, much of the news has been the Cirque du Trump.
Now, while most of us on all levels of the political spectrum have been crying tears of frustration over the outlandish comments by Trump, a real power has been growing within the GOP’s midst. This actual potential candidate is neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who according to CBS News, is leading in the polls at 21 percent right behind Trump (27 percent). According to CBS News, Carson is viewed by most constituents as being more moderate.
Now, one could argue that Carson is closest behind Trump because he has been in the race six weeks longer than Trump but that would be too simple. In reality, Carson’s success is a result of his radical views which show that there is little that separates him from the Kim Kardashian of the GOP candidates. Immigration, tax reform, gun control, abortion, voters rights, vaccinations — the list is endless.
The problem with Carson is that he’s a conservative who is equally as radical as Trump but his humble nature allows for him to be perceived as a more appropriate candidate for the presidency. For many, Trump’s flamboyant behavior is too much for the title of President of the United States, but Carson’s calm and businesslike demeanor is perfect. This sort of focus on behavior regardless of platform is dangerous as many could, and those who are uninformed will, vote based on the candidates behavior more than anything else.
According to InsideGov.com, both candidates believe in the second amendment’s right to bear arms to a near absolute, but in this case, Trump is actually more moderate as he supports a ban on assault weapons and a waiting period with a background check while the only regulation Carson says should exist is a ban on automatic weapons within large cities.
Huffington Post has even reported that Carson said the Jews would have been better off had they had guns during the Holocaust, despite the Anti-Defamation League staunchly refuting these claims. Adding to his outlandish views, he is quoted by CNN online as saying, “Hey, guys, everybody attack him! He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all,” after the Oregon shooting.
While it would be easy to assume Trump supports tax policies that benefit him, he has mentioned taxing the wealthy at a slightly higher rate to reduce the national deficit; Carson on the other hand, has maintained his stance that the bible’s rule of a 10 percent tithe should be what we follow. According to OnTheIssues.org, when asked to expand on his tax reform policy, Carson had this to say: “What we need to do is come up with something simple. And when I pick up my Bible, you know what I see? I see the fairest individual in the universe, God, and he’s given us a system. It’s called a tithe.”
Trump is an egomaniac and not fit to hold the oval office. That being said, Carson’s rhetoric is equally, if not more so, appalling than Trump’s, yet Carson has a real shot at winning. His humble nature makes him more likable to the moderates who are opposed to the more outlandish nature of Trump, according to CBS News. And while the media emphasizes Trump’s craziness, Carson is sliding up the polls under everyone’s noses.
