Dr. Ben Carson is best known for his work in the field of pediatric neurosurgery. His potential candidacy for President has excited the right, and he’s done well in local and national polling. But who is he, and where does he stand on the issues? He sat down with Chris Ryan for an extensive interview.
The initial question was about whether he has the skill set to be president of the United States. Dr. Carson believes that the CEO of the country’s most important skill is that of problem solving. The president needs to have wisdom when it comes to making decisions. Carson said, “There are people who have spent their entire lives in politics but I wouldn’t let them tie my shoes much less make an important decision.”
When he was asked if his support in the polling is the result of an anti-politician sentiment among the voters, Dr. Carson agreed with that development. He feels that many Americans feel that we have moved away from being a nation of, for and by the people. We are becoming a nation of, for, and by the government.
The conversation next moved to questions about the economy. With problems like a stagnant economy, income disparity, and the perception that Wall Street is thriving while Main Street is dying, what is his message to working people that the Republican Party can revitalize the American economy. Carson stated that we have the most powerful economic engine in the world. However, it is fettered by too many regulations and requirements. In addition, we have the world’s highest corporate tax rate and a very high personal tax rate. Also he stated that requirements like Obamacare make it very hard for small businesses to grow. Next, Dr. Carson was asked if Wall Street needs to be reined in He believes that we should let the capitalist system work rather than having the government interfere when it thinks that a company is too big to fail.
Chris Ryan then asked Dr. Carson how he would be different than other candidates who have promised to reform the bureaucratic system in government. Carson believes that he is less likely to fall victim to political expediency because he doesn’t have the long political ties of other politicians. Also because of his lack of a “political” background, he actually says what he means without political nuances.
Dr. Carson’s perceived foreign policy learning curve was the next topic of discussion. He was very frank about his having to do some work in this area to get ready for debates. He has been studying our military command structure, the history of Islam, and US policies in the world’s trouble spots. When he was asked what he considered the major threats to the United States, Carson pointed to our lack of military preparedness due to budget sequestration and other cutbacks. Many mid-level officers—captains and majors–have been getting pink slips. This will have a serious long term effect on our armed forces because these people are the generals and admirals of the future. Another example of our decrease in military preparedness is a lack of equipment maintenance and the development of needed new programs. When you combine this with the rise of ISIS and other militant terrorist groups, Dr. Carson described this as a “perfect storm.”
The last issue was education, specifically what should be the role of the Department of Education. Dr. Carson feels that local is always better when it comes to education. He is in favor choice in education such as vouchers. He believes that the Department of Education should be used as a resource. He suggested that it provide virtual classrooms and access to its databases.
The final question was when Dr. Carson would officially announce his candidacy. The answer very direct—the first week in May.
