Ben Carson Is Struggling to Grasp Foreign Policy, Advisers Say

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

Ben Carson’s remarks on foreign policy have repeatedly raised questions about his grasp of the subject, but never more seriously than in the past week, when he wrongly asserted that China had intervened militarily in Syria and then failed, on national television, to name the countries he would call on to form a coalition to fight the Islamic State.

Faced with increasing scrutiny about whether Mr. Carson — who leads in some Republican presidential polls — was capable of leading American foreign policy, two of his top advisers said in interviews with The New York Times that he had struggled to master the intricacies of the Middle East and national security and that intense tutoring was having little effect.

“Nobody has been able to sit down with him and have him get one iota of intelligent information about the Middle East,” Duane R. Clarridge, a top adviser to Mr. Carson on terrorism and national security, said in an interview. He also said Mr. Carson needed weekly conference calls briefing him on foreign policy so “we can make him smart.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/us/politics/ben-carson-is-struggling-to-grasp-foreign-policy-advisers-say.html

---

While a segment of the Republican base will continue to love his simple-minded approach to issues, I think this could be the turning point in his campaign...but sadly, giving a likely boost to Trump.

[JeffHead]

1. At least he's taking a "stab" at it. nt

[NurseJackie]

2. :-D

[Xipe Totec]

4. Oh, Jesus! That is funny!

[Chemisse]

14. Too bad there seems to be something in the way!

[randys1]

26. You win the internets

[brush]

39. Naughty, but funny.

[FSogol]

42. DUzy!

[trusty elf]

50. good one!

[img][/img]

[trusty elf]

58. ....

[img][/img]

[NurseJackie]

63. .

[Xipe Totec]

3. Step #1 - Grasp reality. nt

[roguevalley]

5. It sounds like the Onion

[Jarqui]

8. I had to check if it was a joke - seriously

[Jarqui]

6. I think past VP candidate

Sarah Palin is available to help "make him smart" in foreign policy ..

After months of this contest being underway and some debates, this clown is currently very close to leading. Like Palin as a candidate for VP, that's just plain nuts. Like Palin, he's got a screw loose somewhere.

Meanwhile, the Dems have three sane and pretty decent candidates ... who could be swiftboated by big GOP money so an idiot like this can be president.

Kind of takes your breath away.

[valerief]

7. If they keep "hammering" the basic facts to him, he might catch on.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Wow - Clarridge said this on the record

It must be bad if he's willing to risk his job like that.

[Agnosticsherbet]

10. It is his salvation by the lord that appeals to his voters

They think that God will whisper in his ear and tell him what to do.

[awoke_in_2003]

19. I wonder how the evangelical base will respond...

once they know he is Seventh Day Adventist. Of course, they supported Romney.

[Agnosticsherbet]

25. The sect won't matter to them. Like "W," he speaks the language of believers.

Remember, "W" appealed and won right wing Christianity because he spike the language of belief.

[brush]

40. Yep! And we know Jeezus has his hand on his shoulder . . .

and is thus close to his ear (see the self-commissioned portrait of Carson and the Messiah hanging in his house).

But seriously, I think the memo went out on Carson a couple of weeks ago when the repugs started realizing that he was leading the polls and may start winning the soon-to-come primaries.

All of a sudden details that were published long ago in his 1997 book were being released to the public — like his belief that pyramids were for grain storage, and the hammer incident with his mother, and of course his attempt at stabbing a friend.

Now his own adviser says he can't seem to grasp the concept of foreign policy.

He's being swift boated by his own party. It happens to them all, Keyes, Cain, Williams, Steele, et al.

So listen up uncle toms, this is what's happens when you've served your usefulness — that being a black candidate on center stage during the nationally televised debates to fool people into thinking that the repugs are not a racist party.

Game over now though, Ben Carson.

[Agnosticsherbet]

45. The Republican party can play hard ball politics with the worst of them.

[brush]

46. Yep!

[trusty elf]

51. .....

[img][/img]

[NastyRiffraff]

11. When your top advisors imply that you are, well, stupid..

Last edited Thu Nov 19, 2015, 08:37 PM - Edit history (1)

...it's time to face reality. Oh wait, this is Ben Carson. Reality is a great mystery to him.

(Edited to correct a stupid grammatical mistake in the title)

[murielm99]

27. I still think something is wrong with him.

He may have a medical or emotional problem. If he can't grasp ME policy, maybe that is why.

I am serious. I have seen people who act this way after reacting badly to prescription drugs, or after a stroke or heart attack. Some people take a long time to come back after a serious illness. Some never do. Is he hiding something like this?

[catbyte]

32. I think he's incapable of understanding. That's not his skill set. I worked with

physicians and other medical professionals in a university setting. They were brilliant in their field, but utterly incapable of holding up an intelligent conversation on any subject but medicine. Seriously. He reminds me so much of those instructors, it's scary.

[Strelnikov_]

33. I agree

Starting to think his retirement was probably due to diminished capacity.

Something there is not right (beyond the obvious).

[davidpdx]

48. That's implying a capacity of some sort to begin with

I'm not so sure we can make that assumption.

[NastyRiffraff]

74. Agreed

I've said it before; I think he has a real mental problem. I'm not being facetious; I think he needs help.

[Enrique]

12. don't worry

an angel will help him in his sleep when he needs to know the stuff.

[Metric System]

13. If that's what his own advisers are saying I'm speechless. I mean, wow. Just...wow.

[Hekate]

15. Dr Ben Spacey doesn't have a very incisive mind, it seems.

[elleng]

16. 'The story prompted a stern response from the Carson campaign,

which accused the Times of taking "advantage of an elderly gentleman."'

[annabanana]

59. omg..

Do you have a link for this, or is it just a funny?

[elleng]

64. It's in the article AND it's FUNNY!

[PSPS]

17. In what respect, Charlie?

[Sunlei]

18. "Ben Carson Is Struggling" His own top advisers say stuff like that? he is toast, Fodder for Baggers

Who will be Republican King of the Hill?
I want to thank Republicans for the coming year of great, Saturday Night Lives.

[chapdrum]

20. Will the Times, or any other major paper ask

the plainly obvious question?

Why does the Republican Party allow the "presidential" candidacy of people like Carson?

Well, they could explain it away by responding that at least Carson isn't running while under
federal indictment, as was Rick Perry.

The fact that the Times, et al. have yet to point out this blatant disregard for our country and
our system of government speaks very eloquently for itself.

[Skittles]

23. they allow it because they would just assign a Cheney/Rumsfeld combo to him

there are plenty of evil fucks willing to coach a repuke nitwit

[Skittles]

21. someone should evaluate Trump's grasp

[bulloney]

22. This sounds alot like Palin in the 2008 elections.

Her campaign leaked that she couldn't grasp and retain much of what they tried to teach her, too. She just went around like a loose cannon, appealing to the mouth-breathers who couldn't tell a thing about what she said because their minds were too occupied fantasizing getting into her pants.

I remember Palin giving her "drill baby drill" talk in Toledo to solar panel factory employees shortly before the elections. That's how goofy her campaign was.

[davidpdx]

24. He may be able to separate conjoined twins

but he can't separate fiction from reality.

[3catwoman3]

28. Thread winner, IMO

Succinctly and brilliantly stated!

[davidpdx]

47. Thank you, thank you very much

*bows*

[trusty elf]

53. Excellent!

[img][/img]

[davidpdx]

54. Love the picture, but he needs one of those Hannibal Lecter masks for good measure

[trusty elf]

56. Bennibal ! ! !

[img][/img]

[davidpdx]

72. Excellent!

[catbyte]

29. OMFG. He's the 2016 version of Sarah Palin. Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.

[Ilsa]

66. ^^^ Rec your Reply! ^^^ This! ^^^ nt

[csziggy]

30. Is Ben Carson a Pakled in disguise?

Watch out - he could still be dangerous!

[Demit]

35. I loved that episode! "You are smart. You make things go."

[3catwoman3]

31. "Carson struggling to grasp..."

I believe the response to this obvious analysis would be, "No shit, Sherlock."

[herding cats]

34. They've spent two years trying to get him up to par and he still can't grasp the basics?!

From the linked article.

Mr. Clarridge, who contacted Mr. Carson nearly two years ago to offer his services without pay, has helped the candidate prepare for debates. But the briefings do not always seem to sink in, Mr. Clarridge acknowledged. After Mr. Carson struggled on “Fox News Sunday” to say whom he would call first to form a coalition against the Islamic State, Mr. Clarridge called Mr. Williams, the candidate’s top adviser, in frustration. “We need to have a conference call once a week where his guys roll out the subjects they think will be out there, and we can make him smart,” Mr. Clarridge said he told Mr. Williams.

Mr. Williams, one of Mr. Carson’s closest friends, who does not have an official role in the campaign, also lamented the Fox News interview. “He’s been briefed on it so many times,” he said. “I guess he just froze.”

Now I'm not sure who terrifies me more, Carson or Cruz as a potential POTUS.

[Octafish]

36. Duane "Dewey" Clarridge is an Iran-Contra action figure.

Volunteered his services, all right.

Now the brain surgeon's trying to get as far away from the guy as he can.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ben-carson-duane-clarridge_564b9004e4b08cda348b3809

LOL. Such loyalty.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

37. Surgeons don't need to think critically

When I went to law school I had a classmate who had just finished medical school. He told me law was much harder because you had to think and not just memorize.

A surgeon is just someone with a great memory, lots of cutting experience, and a huge ego (especially a neurosurgeon). Being smart in one field doesn't make you competent in others.
---

If I was going to kill myself, he said, I would climb to the top of your ego and jump all the way down to your I.Q.

[WestSeattle2]

38. Carson is an educated idiot, who appears to be heavily sedated. The insight offered in the

article doesn't surprise me one bit. Most of us on DU had this clown figured out years ago.

[Beacool]

41. Naaah, you don't say?

I'm sure that nobody noticed.

[no_hypocrisy]

43. Armstrong Williams is one of his advisors.

I used to listen to Armstrong on WWRL in NYC and he never got the issues right on his own show.

[prouddemfromaustin44]

44. Dr. Carson should stick to treating patients, and stay well away from office

Seriously. We REALLY don't need another batshit insane rightwinger in the WH. We'll be doomed if he manages to be in charge.

[Turbineguy]

52. Something like this?

[riversedge]

55. Says a lot when two nutcases are fighting it out for the top of the GOP ticket.

[Vinca]

57. Inquiring minds want to know -

did he open his eyes during surgery???

[GOLGO 13]

60. Hillary has more foreign policy experience in her little finger than this Dr

could even imagine understanding. This is their best & brightest? The 2016 version of Palin. I love it.

[They_Live]

61. "Don't get high...

...on your own supply."

[Gothmog]

62. Carson is a scary idiot

The man is clueless as to the real world

[lark]

65. He's only running to promote his "brand".

Don't think he gives a crap about actually being president, just wants to make more money.

[Darb]

67. Ben, say hello to the underside of the bus.

[TwilightGardener]

68. I honestly feel bad for the guy. He's not Presidential material and will never be President,

but he had a good reputation in his previous field and did work that healed people's suffering. That's more than most politicians. I'm not sure who convinced him to run, but they didn't do him any favors.

[CreekDog]

69. It looks like he's struggling to stay awake

[Hestia]

71. Did y'all see the resume of his adviser -

During the Reagan administration, he helped found the agency’s Counterterrorism Center and ran the C.I.A.’s Latin American division.

Indicted on charges of lying to Congress in the Iran-Contra scandal (he was later pardoned), Mr. Clarridge today runs a private network of intelligence sources, including, he said, experts on Iran, China and the Middle East, who have all briefed Mr. Carson in phone calls or Skype sessions.


It may just as well be good for all of us that BC can't grasp foreign policy. They just had to drag this guy out of mothballs?