Tag Archive for: Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson on the Islamic State: We must ‘destroy them before they destroy us’

“We’re talking about global jihadists, and their desire is to destroy us and to destroy our way of life….our goal is not to contain them but to destroy them before they destroy us.” Why is it so rare to hear presidential candidates make such simple, obvious and commonsensical statements?

“Carson on ISIS: ‘Destroy Their Caliphate,’” by Jordan Schachtel, Breitbart, November 10, 2015 (thanks to Bulldog):

…Carson was asked by Fox Business host and debate moderator Maria Bartiromo if he supports President Obama’s recent initiative to place 50 special ops forces in Syria, and leave 10,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

“Well, putting the special ops people in there is better than not having them there because they — that’s why they’re called special ops, they’re actually able to guide some of the other things that we’re doing there, and what we have to recognize is that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is trying to really spread his influence throughout the Middle East,” Carson responded….

“You know the Chinese are there as well as the Russians, and you have all kinds of factions there. What we’ve been doing so far is very ineffective.”…

“But we can’t give up ground right there. We have to look at this on a much more global scale,” Carson said. “We’re talking about global jihadists, and their desire is to destroy us and to destroy our way of life.”…

“So we have to be saying, ‘How do we make them look like losers,’ that’s the way they’re able to gather a lot of influence, and I think in order to make them look like losers, we have to destroy their caliphate,” he stated.

“And you look for the easiest place to do that, it would be in Iraq. Outside of anbar in Iraq there’s a big energy field. Take that from them, take all of that land from them, we could do that, I believe, fairly easily, I’ve learned from talking to several generals, and you move on from there, but you have to continue to face them, because our goal is not to contain them but to destroy them before they destroy us,” Carson concluded.

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Dr. Ben Carson calls for revocation of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) tax-exempt status

140713-Ben-Carson-ftrThey demanded he drop out of the race. They’re a 501c3 organization, and such organizations are not supposed to intervene in campaigns either on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate. Clearly the gang of thugs at Hamas-linked CAIR, designated a terror organization by the United Arab Emirates, is in violation of the law here, but it is almost certain that Obama’s politicized Justice Department will take no action.

“Carson: Pro-Islam nonprofit broke the law with political attack,” by Bradford Richardson, The Hill, October 3, 2015:

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says a nonprofit Islamic advocacy group broke the law by calling for him to drop out of the presidential race.

“The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) held a public press conference demanding that I withdraw from the presidential race,” Carson said in an email to supporters Saturday.

“Here’s the catch – CAIR is a tax-exempt nonprofit, and the IRS rules explicitly prohibit such groups from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of – or in opposition to – a candidate,” the email continues.

Carson said he is demanding the IRS take action against the group and started an online petition to remove CAIR’s tax-exempt status.

A spokesman for CAIR called for Carson to drop out of the presidential race after the GOP candidate said a Muslim should not be elected president.

CAIR is a 501(c)(3) group with tax-exempt status, according to the group’s website.

The group previously lost its tax-exempt status in 2011 for not filing tax returns for three years in a row, but regained it the next year.

“We find it interesting that Dr. Carson seeks to use a federal government agency to silence his critics and wonder if that tactic would be used to suppress First Amendment freedoms should he become president,” CAIR said in response to Carson.

“CAIR is not in violation of any IRS regulation in that we did not ‘participate in’ or ‘intervene in’ any political campaign. We, as mandated by our mission as a civil rights organization, merely expressed the opinion of our community that a candidate whose views violate Article VI of the Constitution is unfit for public office.”…

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50,000 Americans Sign Letter Supporting Dr. Ben Carson’s Stand Against Sharia Law

MERRIFIELD, Va. /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Nearly 50,000 Americans have signed on to an open letter urging Dr. Ben Carson to stand firm in his position that Sharia Law is not consistent with the U.S. Constitution.  The 2016 Committee, a political action committee raising awareness and support for Carson’s campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, is circulating the open letter.

“The news media may have reacted with typical politically correct outrage at Dr. Carson’s bold stand against Sharia law, but the American people stand with him,” said John Phillip Sousa IV, chairman of The 2016 Committee. “Nearly 50,000 individuals have signed on to The 2016 Committee’s open letter since we began circulating it 10 days ago, because they know how important it is to have a leader who will say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done to protect American freedoms.”

During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” this month, Carson said he would “have problems with somebody who embraced all the doctrines associated with Islam” becoming president. “If they are not willing to reject Sharia and all the portions of it that are talked about in the Quran, if they are not willing to reject that, and subject that to American values and the Constitution, then of course, I would” have a problem with it.

The open letter states:

Dear Dr. Carson,

I am appalled by the ignorance of the news media.  If Sharia law ruled the land, there would be no freedom of speech, no free news media.

Women would be second class citizens.  They would not even be allowed to drive a car.

Sharia law is completely inconsistent with the United States Constitution.  Islam is a theocracy ruled by Sharia law.

There would be no freedom of speech, no freedom of the press, no freedom of religion, and the right to vote would be meaningless.

Cutting off someone’s hand for theft is barbaric.

Killing someone for converting to a religion other than Islam is not freedom.

In fact, no one who lives in an Islamic state is free.

I stand behind you.

I agree with you.

The vast majority of Americans agree with you.

Please stand firm.  Don’t give in one inch.

To view and sign the open letter, visit: http://www.2016committee.org/ben_carson_open_letter.

ABOUT THE 2016 COMMITTEE

The 2016 Committee is a political action committee raising awareness of and support for Dr. Ben Carson’scampaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. For more information, visit www.2016committee.orgor connect on Twitter @DraftRunBenRun or Facebook/RunBenRun.org.

Holding Hypocrites to a Higher Standard

As a former candidate for public office, and a committed activist for conservatism, I am not surprised by the rise of Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina. You shouldn’t be either.

It’s certainly not breaking news that Americans, across the entire ideological spectrum, are disgusted by the stench emanating from Washington D.C. In speaking with conservatives and libertarians, they are fed up with a completely ineffective Establishment wing of the Republican Party that has lost nearly every significant battle against the tax-and-spend, secular-progressive Left. And, fanning the flames of frustration, not only has the GOP establishment lost these battles in spectacular fashion but they have been complicit in many of the Left’s destructive policy victories.

In speaking with many moderate Democrats, they are angry at an administration that has failed to produce results for middle class families and a party that seems to be lurching to the extreme left on social issues ranging from abortion to marriage. But, one common theme I have heard repeated again and again, regardless of the person’s political party affiliation, is “the system is rigged against me.”

This “the system is rigged against me” attitude is not some fantasy made up to frighten little children, it is reality, and nothing is going to change until the handcuffs come out, and the perp walks start. If that sounds harsh then ask yourself “why?” Why is it harsh to ask people, whom we elect to make profound policy decisions, which will deeply impact our lives, to not abuse their power to devastate the lives of others. We’re not talking about a derelict corporate board that makes poor investment decisions and costs investors some of their money here. We are talking about a group of people who are employed, and paid handsomely, to lead a government which controls nearly 4 trillion dollars in tax remittances, and has a monopoly on the use of force.

Why do we hold our elected politicians to a lower, not a higher, standard of conduct than every other American? These pampered D.C. power brokers get away with things that would have you in a prison cell or a courtroom yet, they are rarely punished. Yes, few are caught, and even fewer are jailed, but the rest spit in our faces as they continue to live by a completely different set of rules than the ones you and I MUST live by.

Mishandle classified U.S. secrets – no problem, go run for President!

Don’t pay your taxes – no problem, accuse your opponents of racism and get re-elected to Congress!

Use insider information to make sweet business deals – no problem, become the Senate Majority Leader!

Use the IRS to destroy the lives of political opponents, and to tilt elections in your favor – no problem, become the Commander-in-Chief!

Your family profits handsomely from a bill you helped pass – no problem, become the Speaker of the House!

Violate the spirit and the letter of the law while engaging in a secret plan to undermine a local mining project – no problem, ignore a subpoena and take a vacation!

None of this white hot, steaming pile of garbage is going to change until the punishment fits the crime. We should be demanding responsible investigations, arrests, perp walks and, when found guilty, prison, and nothing less. The outrageous conduct of many members of the political class warrants aggressive prosecutions to deter future activity of this sort. Pardons, country club “prisons,” statements such as “the country just needs to move on,” and weak community-service-only sentences for corrupted members of the political class only serve to confirm to an already frustrated American working class that they are being ruled, not governed. Handcuffs will change all of that.

You don’t have to be a comic book fan, or a gifted philosopher to understand the simple meaning of Uncle Ben’s words to Peter Parker in the Spiderman movie, “with great power comes great responsibility.” They’ve taken the power, now they must own the responsibility.

RELATED VIDEO: O’Keefe Undercover Video Shows Hillary Campaign Skirting Election Laws

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in the Conservative Review. The featured image of Democrat Hillary Clinton is by Jim Mone | AP Photo.

Biased Media vs. Behavioral Standards

I love her because she is a little over a hundred pounds, 5’2” gutsy fired ball. However, every time we fly, I pray she makes it through TSA without losing her cool. My wife Mary despises the gross infringement upon her rights and being “molested by TSA.” Mark Steyn hosting Rush’s radio show succinctly articulated the source of my wife’s outrage.

TSA-SCREENING-OVER-75-large570

TSA agent screening grandmother.

“Your grandmother in the wheelchair has to lift up her skirt and show her colostomy bag to the TSA until the end of time. Your grandfather, who got blown up serving his country in a war and has a leg brace, has to be degraded and show that to officialdom at the airport until the end of time. But millions and millions of people can just walk into the selfsame country across the southern border, and we’re supposed to just accept it.” -Mark Steyn

Meanwhile, the GOP, the MSM and political experts continue to scratch their heads, puzzled why Trump’s poll numbers rise every time he verbally slaps a reporter (operative) pushing the Left’s PC agenda. Mary’s outrage is shared by millions.

We all know the mainstream media is bias. But they appear to have totally come out-of-the-closet exposing their true identity as Leftist operatives. It was infuriating watching a CNN interviewer hammering Republican presidential contender Dr. Ben Carson. This despicable jerk kept trying to twist Dr. Carson’s words to mean Dr. Carson wants to bomb refugees with drones

Dr. Carson is an extraordinarily kind, gentle and wise man; humanity flowing from his very being. I wanted to slap the interviewer on Dr. Carson’s behalf. (Just kidding.) Clearly, the Leftist operative interviewer was trying to infer that you never know what those crazy mean-spirited Republicans will do.

Also, infuriating and evil is the MSM hiding the sick scandal happening at Planned Parenthood.

In the latest video released exposing Planned Parenthood black marketing baby body parts, one of PP’s clients joked about shipping whole heads of aborted babies to research labs. I was stunned by the lack of media coverage and national outrage. Have we grown numb?

Planned_Parenthood_DNCMy wife Mary said, “No, we have not. Outraged Americans held 200 huge rallies nationwide clamoring for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. And yet, the MSM is mute regarding the national outcry against PP. Once again, the mainstream media are proving themselves to be operatives of evil; protecting PP by shielding the American people from the truth.

Mary and I are longtime friends with a liberal couple. Getting their news solely from far left media outlets, they oppose defunding PP. We plan to share the horrific PP videos with them. If our liberal friends still rally behind PP, I no longer want them in my life.

Their loyalty to PP means they are disciples of the religion of Liberalism. Its sacrament is abortion. The murder and abuse of babies is fair-game in their war on conservatives and behavior standards. That is off-the-chain evil folks.

A trait I have noticed in this couple and Leftist media is their resentment of behavioral standards. They are thrilled when anyone striving to be morally upright fails. They celebrate depravity. As crazy as it sounds, the liberal couple likes Mary and I because we are among the few people in their lives they can trust. And yet, they resent our goody-two-shoes Christianity.

At the core of the Left’s relentless assault on traditional American values is their hatred of behavioral standards.

Black Superbowl quarterback Russell Wilson said he was following God’s plan, waiting to have sex after marriage. This made Wilson a MSM laughing stock. With 70% black out-of-wedlock births which leads to gangs, jail and poverty, the MSM attacking the black superstar did black youths a huge disservice.

For years the Left despised the Duggar family’s wholesome hit TV show. It was an oasis in a desert wasteland were the Left/MSM seeks to make depravity normal. When son, Josh Duggar’s moral failures lead to the cancellation of his parent’s TV show, the MSM rejoiced. Why? The Duggars promoted behavioral standards.

Behavior has consequences. Josh Duggar did the deed and is paying the price. He has asked for forgiveness. I pray this young man will turn his life around. Throughout the Bible men of God had moral failures. Moses murdered a man. King David stole a man’s wife and had him killed. Moses and King David repented and became great men of God.

The Left presents the absurd argument that unless one is morally perfect, they have no right to suggest behavioral standards. The Bibles says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Are we suppose to throw out all behavioral standards because humans are incapable of keeping them perfectly? Apparently, the Left says yes.

Angry, fearful and hopeless, Americans see the rapid moral decline of our culture, deathly afraid to say anything. Trump is taking the heat for saying what millions are thinking.

homosexuality is a sinHere is another example of the Left’s war on behavioral standards. Self-proclaimed former lesbian Dr. Rosario Butterfield said because God condemns homosexual behavior, the Left demands man’s approval. Masterfully portraying themselves as victims, in reality, homosexuals are the aggressors. Appeasing the Left/MSM, SCOTUS repealed American’s right to freely practice their religion. Christians are government mandated to embrace anti-biblical behavioral or suffer economic death and/or jail time. 

Still, I get the sense that the Left has overplayed its hand and there’s a new sheriff in town. Americans are beginning to speak-out and push back against PC sacred cows such as Black Lives Matter, illegal immigration and the radical homosexual agenda.

Excellent! It’s about time.

Dr. Carson Meets the Press

Now that a new Fox News poll shows Dr. Ben Carson tied for first place with former Florida governor Jeb Bush among all potential 2016 Republican presidential nominees, it’s time that he prepared himself for a full scale assault by the mainstream media and by the same establishment Republicans who nominated George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney.

Dr. Carson’s interview with Chris Cuomo of CNN is a perfect example of the inquisition he will face, only because he is a black conservative.  In that interview he was asked, “Do you think being gay is a choice?”  In response, Dr. Carson used the prison experience to support his point of view.  He said, “… a lot of people who go into prison straight – and when they come out, they’re gay.  So, did something happen while they were in there?  Ask yourself that question.”

That response was not sufficient to satisfy the mainstream media or gay activists.  Instead, if he had been adequately prepped he might have said, “There is some clinical research which tends to show that most homosexuals are apparently born with that sexual orientation.  However, we must also recognize that many men and women enter the prison population as heterosexuals, but then adopt a homosexual lifestyle while incarcerated… suggesting that, at some point, they chose to engage in homosexual behavior.  What this tells us is that there is much we still don’t understand about the homosexual phenomenon.”

As a non-politician, Dr. Carson can expect to be probed even more intensely than his Republican counterparts, even though several competitors are first-term members of the U.S. Senate.  Allow me to suggest some of the questions that will likely be put to Dr. Carson, along with some recommended responses:

Interviewer:  “Dr. Carson, you are an internationally renowned neurosurgeon.  Until recently you served as Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.  Serving as president of the United States is another matter entirely.  With your background, what makes you think that you should be considered as a viable candidate for president of the United States?

Dr. Carson:  “Well, I’m told that there are those who say that, given the mess that Barack Obama has made of things, he has essentially ruined things for any future black man who might have presidential ambitions, and that the American people may not elect another black president for generations to come.  I would remind them that, after Jimmy Carter earned a reputation as the worst president in U.S. history, I don’t recall anyone suggesting that he’d ruined everything  for all future white candidates.  Instead, four years later, the people elected a conservative Republican, Ronald Reagan, who not only ended the Cold War but implemented tax policies that gave us a period of economic growth that actually produced revenue surpluses by the mid-90s.”

Interviewer:  “In an April NPR interview, President Obama suggested that one of your rivals, Governor Scott Walker, should ‘bone up on foreign policy.’  What do you say to those who suggest that you would have even less experience in foreign affairs than Governor Walker?”

Dr. Carson:  “I would suggest that Barack Obama is the last person who should be questioning someone else’s foreign policy credentials.  For example, he spent most of his formative years, up to age ten, as a citizen of Indonesia; he has admitted that he visited Pakistan as a 20-year-old student and that he visited relatives in Kenya when he was in his mid-to-late twenties.  Visiting relatives and seeing the sights in foreign lands as a child and as a young man has nothing to do with assessing political and economic conditions.  In fact, if he’d learned anything at all from his travels he would have a far more positive view of American exceptionalism than he has today.”

Interviewer:  “In the history of our country, only twelve of our forty-four presidents had no military service.  You would be the first Republican since Herbert Hoover with no military service.  That being the case, how would you propose to win the respect of those in the military services as their commander in chief?”

Dr. Carson:  “The men and women of our armed forces are the finest that America has to offer.  And I can assure you that, regardless of whatever military experience a president may or may not have, the people in our armed services are more than capable of understanding when their commander in chief has their back and whether or not he commands their respect.  If I am given the opportunity to serve as their commander in chief, they will know that I will move Heaven and Earth to give them all the tools they need and that I will not send them on fools errands.  They can also be assured that, when I do what is necessary to retrieve a man who has been charged with desertion, the release of five of the worst of the worst Islamic terrorists will not be among my bargaining chips.”

Interviewer:  “Two of the early entrants into the 2016 Republican presidential primary are first term senators.  As a physician, you have even less political experience than they.  Don’t you think that the country needs and deserves a leader with far more experience?”

Dr. Carson:  I would point out to you that Barack Obama was a first-term senator when he ran for president and his failures may cause some to think twice about electing another first-term senator, or a pediatric neurosurgeon.  However, it is important to realize that Obama’s failures are not a product of his inexperience.  He has failed because his ideas and his policies are wrong for this country.  In my thirty-six year career as a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins, I have been required to make more life-or-death decisions in a week or a month than a president might be called upon to make in two terms in the White House.  And,unlike Barack Obama, I have always been available when the really tough decisions had to be made.”

Interviewer:  “Dr. Carson, if you are the nominee of the Republican Party, your likely Democrat opponent will be former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  How do you respond to charges that she is highly experienced in foreign affairs while you have little or no experience in that realm?”

Dr. Carson:  Let’s look at the facts.  Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama engaged in a very bitter campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination, a campaign in which the Clintons charged that the Obama people played the “race card” on them in South Carolina.  In the interest of party unity, Obama agreed to appoint Mrs. Clinton as Secretary of State.  He gave her a large staff and the use of an airplane and told her to just travel… which she did… while foreign policy was made at the White House by Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and Susan Rice.  It’s impressive to hear Mrs. Clinton cite the number of miles she’s traveled and the number of countries she’s visited.  However, when asked to name one accomplishment she can point to as Secretary of State, Democrats are strangely silent.  As my colleague, Carly Fiorina, has correctly pointed out, Mrs. Clinton should understand that traveling is an ‘activity,’ not an ‘accomplishment.’ ”

Interviewer:  “It is quite clear to everyone by now that Barack Obama and the Democrats are doing everything in their power to wrap up Hispanics as yet another captive voting constituency.  In fact, they are talking about giving illegals Social Security cards, voter registration cards, free health care, free education, food stamps, and housing assistance.  Since Republicans can’t be expected to enter into a bidding war for the hearts and minds of Hispanics, if you are elected president, how would you propose to counter that effort by the Democrats?”

Dr. Carson:  Your question presupposes that Hispanics would vote as a bloc for no better reason than that their votes are being bought.  If I were a Hispanic I would be highly insulted by that suggestion.  I believe that the members of our Hispanic population are among the hardest working people in America and I refuse to believe that they come to our country looking for a handout, rather than a hand up.  As a case in point, I would refer you to the personal story of Senator Cruz’s father, Raphael, who came to this country from Cuba with only $100 sewed into his clothing.  He took a job as a dishwasher and worked his way through college.  Now he has a son who is a Harvard Law School graduate and a candidate for president of the United States.  That is the American Dream that Hispanics seek and I will never be convinced otherwise.”        

Interviewer:  “You have been quoted as saying that you would not go to war with Russia over Ukraine, but that military action should not be taken off the table.  Armed conflict with Russia could conceivably pose the threat of a nuclear exchange.  If you believe that to be true, under what circumstances would you consider going to war with Russia?”

Dr. Carson“Look.  I don’t know of a single person in possession of his faculties who believes that the United States would ever launch a preemptive nuclear attack against another country.  But every country with nuclear weapons must know that, if they were ever foolish enough to launch a preemptive strike against the United States, retribution would be swift and certain.  In the United States, nuclear weapons are seen as a deterrent, not as tactical weapons.” 

Now that Dr. Carson is officially a viable candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, he should always be aware that every response to reporters’ questions must contain three elements: 1) a brief clarification of the issue at hand, 2) a clear and concise statement of his position on the issue, and 3) a solid shot across the opposition’s bow.  If the mainstream media insist on using Barack Obama as the standard by which Dr. Carson is to be judged, then the bar has been set very low.  He should take full advantage of that weakness at every opportunity.

Dr. Ben Carson Answers the Clamoring of Millions of Americans to Run for President

MERRIFIELD, Va./PRNewswire/ — Citing the critical need to heal a nation more bitterly divided politically than it has been at any time in the past 150 years, Dr. Ben Carson on May 4th in Detroit announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.

“As a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Carson knows a thing or two about healing,” said John Philip Sousa IV, co-founder and chairman of The 2016 Committee, the political action committee originally formed to draft Carson into the presidential race. “I know I speak for millions of Americans in thanking Dr. Carson for entering this race and pledging to support his candidacy.”

“Dr. Carson’s candidacy represents the best and really the only opportunity we have to heal America and to bring Americans back together again under the banner of our Constitution,” Sousa added.

The Committee has been at the forefront of the movement urging Dr. Carson to run for president. Starting in August of 2013, it conducted  a petition campaign that ultimately collected more than 500,000 signatures from Americans urging Dr. Carson to enter the race. The Committee operates full time offices in Iowa and New Hampshire, and chairmen are in place in nearly every state coordinating more than 30,000 volunteers nationwide. The Committee has raised more than $16 million from more than 150,000 individual donors since 2013.

“For two years, Dr. Carson has said that if people clamored for him to run for president, he would have to answer their call,” said Vernon Robinson, The 2016 Committee’s campaign director. “Well, they indeed clamored, and he has answered them. But our work is far from over.  We will continue growing the massive grassroots network in pace to support Dr. Carson’s candidacy, and look ahead toward key Republican presidential straw polls and the September debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.”

“Dr. Carson’s candidacy will build on the massive grass-roots network that sprang up to encourage him to get into the race in the first place,” Robinson said. “He’s in it to win it, and we’re with him all the way.”

Dr. Carson is consistently among likely Republican voters’ top picks for the nomination. In one recent CNN survey, Dr. Carson placed second behind Mitt Romney but ahead of other likely contenders including formerFlorida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Dr. Carson finished an impressive second place in the 2014 Bloomberg/Des Moines Register presidential poll of likely caucus-goers, and scored an overwhelming victory in the Polk County Republican Dinner in Des Moines in August. He also won the Linn County, Iowa, midterm caucus straw poll in January 2014.

The now-retired Dr. Carson chose Detroit for his announcement because that’s where he grew up and because he wanted to use the bankrupt city as a metaphor for President Obama’s failed economic policies. He says his campaign will speak out against Mr. Obama’s radical left-wing agenda, because he loves his country and wants to save it.

About The 2016 Committee

The 2016 Committee, formed expressly to draft Dr. Carson into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, was founded in August 2013. Going forward, it will work to raise awareness of Dr. Carson’s qualifications, and will engage grass-roots conservative activists on behalf of his candidacy to provide the margin of victory for Ben Carson. For more information, visit www.2016committee.org or connect on Twitter@DraftRunBenRun or Facebook.com/RunBenRun.org.

National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee Raises $2.8 Million in First Six Months

MERRIFIELD, Va., March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, a political action committee formed to draft Dr. Ben Carson into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, raised $2,837,401 in its first six months of activity, the committee announced today.

“Dr. Carson has said he will consider running for president if the American people are clamoring, and the tremendous outpouring of donations shows that the people are indeed clamoring,” said Vernon Robinson, the Committee’s campaign director. “Hundreds of thousands have signed the petition asking him to run, donated to the grassroots effort and volunteered their time to represent the Committee at events around the country.”

Nearly 47,000 individuals contributed to the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee in its first six months in operation between August 21, 2013 and February 22, 2014. The average contribution amount is $45, with many donors contributing more than once. The Committee reinvests the funds in projects to raise awareness of Dr. Carson’s qualifications and lay the groundwork for a national grassroots support network for his candidacy.

The Committee’s fundraising efforts are outpacing similar efforts designed to draft other high-profile candidates into the 2016 presidential race. A political action committee encouraging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to enter the race for the Democratic nomination raised approximately $1.3 million in its first six months of operation, and roughly $2.75 million in its second six-month span.

More than 300,000 Americans have signed petitions encouraging Dr. Carson to enter the race. The Committee delivers roughly 4,000 petitions to Dr. Carson each week from Americans who want him to run. In addition to petition signatures and financial support, over 7,100 Americans have volunteered across the nation to represent the Committee at GOP and Tea Party events and encouraged their friends and neighbors to join the movement and clamor for Dr. Carson.

In January, Dr. Carson overwhelmingly won the Linn County, Iowa, midterm caucus straw poll with 87 percent of the votes. And in a recent poll of thousands of Tea Party activists, 77 percent of respondents said they support Dr. Carson. Dr. Carson will be a candidate on the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll March 6-8 in Washington, D.C., where the Committee will be on site educating attendees about Dr. Carson and encouraging them to clamor for him to run.

“Grassroots conservatives are drawn to Dr. Carson because they know he is the only candidate capable of healing our land and uniting our country to overcome the crises created by recent administrations,” Robinson said. “Our ranks continue to swell as more and more conservatives realize that Ben Carson is the one candidate we can trust with our votes in 2016.”

Ben Carson is a political outsider with the background, experience, leadership and vision to heal the bitter divides in American politics and set our nation on the path to prosperity. As a former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and one of the most respected brain surgeons in the world, he has the leadership skills required to lead the country. Dr. Carson is a great communicator and man of character who embraces the Founding Fathers’ vision for America to be built on principles of freedom, liberty and personal responsibility.

“The first six months of our campaign to draft Dr. Carson have been a great success,” said John Philip Sousa IV, national chairman of the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, “but the next six months will be even more important. Now is the time for other conservatives to join this movement and clamor for Dr. Carson to run by signing the petition, speaking out with the Committee’s Clamor Kits, and supporting their fellow activists.”

About the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee

The National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee is a political action committee formed to draft Dr. Ben Carson into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. It was founded in August 2013 by John Philip Sousa IV and Vernon Robinson, and works to raise awareness of Dr. Carson’s qualifications and to engage grassroots conservative activists in clamoring for Dr. Carson to run for president. For more information visit http://www.runbenrun.org/

SOURCE: National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee

EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is by Gage Skidmore and is  licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic. The use of this image does not in any way indicate the creator endorse the author or this column.