Ever since Dr. Ben Carson found himself catapulted into the national political echo chamber after his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013, the neurosurgeon and possible 2016 presidential contender has been anything but mute on his beliefs. As a Fox News contributor and frequent speaker at conservative conferences, Carson has no shortage of opportunities to speak his mind.
During an appearance on Fox News last Saturday, Carson sounded off in a particularly tone-deaf manner in regard to the recent scandal surrounding the Veterans Affairs health care system. He attempted to draw a comparison between problems in the Veterans Affairs Administration and consequences of the Affordable Care Act.
“I think what’s happening with the veterans is a gift from God to show us what happens when you take layers and layers of bureaucracy and place them between the patients and the health care provider,” he said.
Though Carson might be correct in his comparison on the healthcare front, his claim that the death of our veterans is “a gift from God” — regardless of the circumstances — was wildly over the top and demonstrates the worst of political punditry.
While left-leaning outlets attacked Carson for his choice of words, right-leaning outlets were noticeably quiet. Some political commentators noticed and pushed back, but the vast majority of opinion leaders on the right stayed silent.
“We need seriousness here rather than just political speak,” Carson continued, ironically. “‘How can I look better? How can my party look better.’ And I’m saying this to both Democrats and Republicans. Let’s stop and think about the people.”
If only he had taken his own advice.
But Carson, who claims not to ascribe to any political party, doesn’t get paid to be “serious” or come up with real-world solutions to the problems he so loves to pontificate about. He gets paid to say things that make splashy headlines.
However, Carson is only partially to blame for the proliferation of firebrand conservatism gone too far. He — like many pundits — has a large base of financial support and an even larger base of supporters who don’t mind overlooking fringe comments.
Conservatism isn’t the problem here. When conservatives articulate their principles well — as Carson often does — they can change hearts and minds. But that message is too often lost in a sea of gaffes, missteps, and lines that sound a lot better on paper than they do in front of a camera.
Conservatives need to realize that it’s not just about being right — it’s about packaging and selling it the right way. Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” comments were factually accurate and touched on an important facet of the taxation debate, but they generated overwhelming negative media attention instead of moving the ball forward on that debate.
We need to hold our own to higher standards. Campaign gaffes grow out of red meat flung at the base, and when we encourage politicians to ratchet up the rhetoric, we enable moments like Carson’s unfortunate comments last Saturday.
When conservatives collectively cringe, but hardly anyone lifts a finger to correct the issue, we only hurt ourselves. Todd Akins are born everyday, but this is how they rise to prominence.
