Ben Carson, speaking September 30 of this year at the University of New Hampshire, asked, “Gravity, where did it come from?” Easy answer? Setting aside Newton’s law of universal gravitation, we could answer that it comes from our spinning heads when people like Ben Carson say such gratuitously stupid things.
What triggered the catastrophic misfiring of synapses was somebody asking a simple question about what Carson believes. And yes, the questioner should have known better. Carson was asked: “You don’t believe in evolution or climate change, I believe. And I was just wondering, do you seriously not believe that climate change is happening?”
Watch for yourself as Carson stumbles his way through to a sorta answer (my comments in parentheses):
"Well first of all, you have to hear what I actually believe because the media distorts it enormously for their own purposes. Is there climate change? Of course there’s climate change. Any point in time temperatures are going up or temperatures are going down. When that stops happening, that’s when we’re in big trouble (laughter and applause, of course). What is important is that we recognize that we have an obligation to take care of our environment. I don’t care whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, a liberal or a conservative, if you have any thread of decency in you, you want to take care of the environment because you know you have to pass it on to the next generation (Where then is his objection to the Kochs’ plan for our national parks?). There is no reason to make it into a political issue (because it will just resolve itself if we ignore it?). As far as evolution is concerned I do believe in micro-evolution, or natural selection, but I believe that God gave the creatures he made the ability to adapt to their surroundings. Because he’s very smart he didn’t want to start over every fifty years (this got him applause of course – “soft” evolution for the faith-based). So I say people who want to believe other than that they are welcome to do that (Except science isn’t something you get to “believe” in or not). I known there are some people who say “you know it all just happened.” Well where did it all come from in the first place? “I don’t know but it’s there somewhere.” (Oh dear…) So I give them that it’s there. They say there was a big explosion and it all became perfectly organized to the point where we can predict seventy years hence when a comet is coming. Um, that requires more faith than I have (actually, it requires science: S.C.I.E.N.C.E.). You know, that’s a complex set of things. Just the way the earth rotates on its axis, how far away it is from the sun. These are all very complex things (Notice he didn’t say which revolves around which).
Uh, gravity. Where did it come from?
I mean, there are so many things. So I don’t denigrate the people who say “Eh, eh, whatever, somehow it happened.” I don’t denigrate them, I just don’t have that much faith. But they are welcome to believe whatever they want to believe. I’m welcome to believe what I want to believe. They say I can’t be a scientist and yet somehow I became a neurosurgeon and did pretty well."
There you go. He’s a neurosurgeon, so if he says that science is something you can believe in or not, there must be no science, right? Just belief about science.
When presidential candidates start talking like this, it’s time to worry. Actually, it’s past time to worry.
Dr. Carson is an intelligent soft spoken man who is incredibly out of touch with how government works. He might be a good senate candidate, or even a governor, but with no experience in any public office, it would appear that he is simply ill equipped for job. His numbers in the polls are an illusion caused by feel good folks who most certainly will not pull the ballot lever for this candidate......he will not be top three in Iowa or NH......seen this routine before.
The point: gravity sucks. Just kidding. Dr. Carson has stated that God called him to run for office...but how will he ever capture the deranged fundie "Christians" that buy this story with such a crowded field? I don't believe Carson expects to win the presidency. He's brand-building, like many of the other...I forget how many...candidates...most of them now on life support...and the rest...the GOP has been unmasked.
While I do appreciate Dr. Carson's achievements I remain totally befuddled as to why he chooses to desert his chosen profession to pursue a political career which he has shown such little aptitude. He could serve mankind much better using his obvious medical skills instead of wasting his energy on this dead end sojourn . . . . .
knothead wrote:While I do appreciate Dr. Carson's achievements I remain totally befuddled as to why he chooses to desert his chosen profession to pursue a political career which he has shown such little aptitude. He could serve mankind much better using his obvious medical skills instead of wasting his energy on this dead end sojourn . . . . .
That is charitable of you. I wonder what kind of drugs he's on.
Dr Carson's naive understanding of history is now making him look very vulnerable and his poll numbers will soon be reflective of the breadth of his knowledge.
by 2seaoat Yesterday at 5:21 pm Dr. Carson is an intelligent soft spoken man who is incredibly out of touch with how government works. He might be a good senate candidate, or even a governor, but with no experience in any public office, it would appear that he is simply ill equipped for job. His numbers in the polls are an illusion caused by feel good folks who most certainly will not pull the ballot lever for this candidate......he will not be top three in Iowa or NH......
------ If you mean he doesn't know how to take bribes and be bought by the oligarchy as you say, Then nope he doesn't know about government and that is what we need in DC
On Tuesday, Ben Carson was on “Fox & Friends” and was posed this hypothetical: “If a gunman walks up and puts a gun at you and says what religion are you, that is the ultimate test of your faith,” as the Oregon shooter reportedly did to his victims.
It wasn’t a question per se, but the interviewer obviously wanted to know how Carson would react in that incredibly stressful circumstance.
Carson responded:
“I’m glad you asked that question because not only would I not probably not cooperate with him, I would not just stand there and let him shoot me. I would say, ‘Hey guys, everybody attack him. He may shoot me, but he can’t get us all.’ ”
Then Carson chuckled.
Oh, Ben.
Do you not see why so many people saw this as a callous, thickheaded blaming of the victim? The statement doesn’t honor the heroism of Chris Mintz, who did exactly as Carson suggested — charged at the shooter, was shot seven times, but wasn’t able to incapacitate him — and it also devalues the lives and reactions of all the other victims who didn’t or couldn’t charge the shooter.
Which of us truly know precisely how we would react — even those of us who are sure that we would be fearless — when caught off guard and caught up in an active mass shooting where bodies, ripped open by bullets, are falling all around?
On Tuesday evening, Carson appeared on Fox News’ “The Kelly File,” where the host, Megyn Kelly, put this statement to him: “The accusation there, Dr. Carson, is that you appeared tone deaf and that you seemed callous in the laughter about a massacre and what you would have done.”
Carson responded, “I’m laughing at them and their silliness.” “Who?” Kelly asked. “The people asking that question,” Carson responded.
Hold up! When the original statement/question was put to Carson, the “them” were the hosts on “Fox & Friends,” and Carson’s response began with “I’m glad you asked that question…”
I’m starting to doubt everything that comes out of this man’s mouth..."
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Carson isn't firing on all cylinders...a brick short of a load...elevator doesn't go all the way to the top...etc. He also looks like he's on drugs.