Update 3/20/13 - The New York Times ran a substantial (and fair) piece on Dr. Carson titled, "Neurosurgeon's Speeches Have Conservatives Dreaming of 2016." It's an excellent introduction to Dr. Carson and his views.
Andrew Johnson reports:
Although he’s not closing the door on his own 2016 run, Dr. Ben Carson said he’s a big fan of another potential candidate who also happens to have medical experience. In an interview last night with Sean Hannity, Carson praised Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, for his courage, conviction, and logical thinking.
“Part of the problem that we’re having right now is that there are a lot of people who lack courage, who always want everybody to adore them, and that just are not willing to take stands based on real convictions, and when I see that, I’m really impressed with it,” Carson said of Paul.
As for his personal aspirations, Carson said he will revisit the possibility of running in a year or so to see if there’s “significant sentiment” in favor of his candidacy.
Me: I predict Dr. Carson will run. Last year he wrote, America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great. (So far it has garnered 375 five star Amazon reviews!) Did Carson publish his book as part of a grand strategy? Quite possibly. The book, like his speeches, speaks with power to a great swath of the American people. For years people have seen Carson as a potential political star and have suggested he think about running for office. After his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, no less an influential organ than the Wall Street Journal headlined an editorial, "Ben Carson for President." I suspect Carson has been mulling the Presidency for years, particularly given the policies of the man currently occupying the White House.
Carson spoke at the recent CPAC gathering in Washington. A writer covering Carson's speech headlined his report: "How to destroy America in Four Steps."
He [Carson] explained that if he were an enemy of the United States, he would set about destroying the nation in four simple steps: create division among the people, encourage a culture of ridicule for basic morality, undermine the nation’s financial stability through excessive government debt, and weaken the military. ”It appears, coincidentally, that those are the very things that are happening right now,” he observed. ”And the question is, how do we stop it? Can we stop it, or must we inexorably follow the same kind of path that other pinnacle nations have followed before their destruction?”
Here is Carson's CPAC speech:
Carson is the most intriguing figure on the national stage right now. Whether he eventually throws his hat into the presidential race or not, I agree with the Amazon commenter who said of his book, America the Beautiful, "Every library in the U.S. should have a copy of this book." Amen to that. Carson's views are the tonic that the United States needs at this historical moment.