Carson: I’ve Been Criticized Because I’m A Threat To ‘The Progressives’

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks to reporters during a news conference before the Black Republican Caucus of S. Florida "Diamonds & Ice" Scholarship gala, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, in Palm Beach Garden... Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks to reporters during a news conference before the Black Republican Caucus of S. Florida "Diamonds & Ice" Scholarship gala, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Republican presidenital candidate Dr. Ben Carson said in an interview aired Sunday that the media was more critical of him than other candidates.

Chris Jansing, in an interview for CNN, grilled Carson to give a response to the fact checkers who have found inconsistencies in some of his previous statements.

“I have always said that I expect to be vetted. But being vetted and what is going on with me, ‘You said this 30 years ago, you said this 20 years ago, this didn’t exist, this didn’t.’ You know, I just, I have not seen that with anyone else,” Carson said. “Or if you can show me where that’s happened with someone else, I will take that statement back.”

Jansing continued to press him on the subject.

“You don’t think that Bill Clinton or the president with his birth certificate, people who still–” she asked.

“No, not like this,” Carson repeatedly said.

“So what do you think is going on? Why you?” Jansing asked.

“Because I’m a threat,” Carson said.

“To?” she asked him to clarify.

“To the progressives, the secular progressive movement in this country,” Carson replied. “I’m a very big threat because they can look at the polling data and they can see that I’m the candidate who’s most likely to be able to beat Hillary Clinton. They see that.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Just to be clear - the person who makes the most money should get the largest tax cut, but the person who lies the most shouldn’t get the most criticism.

  2. Republican philosophy in a nutshell.

  3. It´s true Ben. We are criticizing you because you lie like a rug. But you don´t have to be a progressive to not like liars.

  4. “It’s not me, it’s everybody else.”

    Occam’s razor anyone?

  5. Some might argue that the scrutiny is routine in Presidential races and in Carson’s case, serves the added precaution of making sure he does not physically harm himself.He is obviously not all there.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

111 more replies

Participants

Avatar for ajm Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for sooner Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for leftflank Avatar for scottnatlanta Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for inversion Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for borisjimbo Avatar for fortunatolucchesi Avatar for andy49 Avatar for kitty Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for johngaltparadise Avatar for vlharpley Avatar for masterlever Avatar for darrtown Avatar for occamsrazor2 Avatar for emilianoelmexicano Avatar for albesure Avatar for castorita Avatar for Landshark2995 Avatar for oistein

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: