Ben Carson: Now Rivalling Donald Trump in the Stupid Department

By Guardian UK

07 October 15

The retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate is not keen on gay marriage or having a Muslim president – and now he has put his foot in it over the Oregon shooting

ame: Ben Carson.

Age: 64

Appearance: Twinkly, gentle.

Occupation: Retired neurosurgeon.

So he’s clever and kind? You’d think so, but both are now in doubt. He’s a Republican presidential candidate, you see, and is now jostling Donald Trump at the top of the polls, thanks to some rather Trumpy comments.

Such as? On being asked by Fox News how he would have handled the gunman in Oregon, who required victims to state their religion before being shot, Carson said: “Not only would I 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!’”

So he’s saying that people might have saved themselves if they weren’t so spineless? Yes.

That’s tactful. It’s also ignorant, as one army veteran is in hospital after trying to attack the gunman and being shot several times.

Stupid Carson. That’s a good summary. He has also said that a Muslim would have to renounce their faith in order to become US president since, in his view, Islam is “against the rights of women, against the rights of gays … subjugates other religions, and [advocates] a host of things that are not compatible with our constitution”.

Doesn’t the constitution itself say: “No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office”? Why yes, it does.

And what is Carson’s religion? The Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Are they against gay rights? It depends how you interpret: “Seventh-Day Adventists are opposed to homosexual practices and relationships.”

That’s not very ambiguous. In his book, America the Beautiful, Carson says that gay marriage is “a slippery slope with a disastrous ending”.

Stupid Carson. I fear so. Except he’s become incredibly popular.

How does that work? People are so disgusted with manipulative politicians that they now actually prefer incompetent ones, on the basis that you’d only say something stupid if you meant it.

Interesting logic. Can you think of any parallels in British opposition politics? No. No, I can’t.

Do say: “Guns aren’t dangerous! And anyway, I’d like to see the government try to take them away from millions of heavily armed gun-owners!”

Don’t say: “Erm …”