OXON HILL, Md. â€" A new face generated curiosity and unexpected 2016 speculation at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday: Ben Carson, the celebrated neurosurgeon.
Mr. Carson’s pitch is part revenge of the nerds, part rebellion against political correctness and part history lesson, with some Biblical references and a rags-to-riches story mixed in.
In the space of just over a month, Mr. Carson has gone from being an apolitical doctor known for separating conjoined twins to an entrant in the conservatives’ 2016 presidential straw poll. At the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 7, Mr. Carson surprised many in the audience by criticizing President Obama’s tax and health care policies while calling for reduction of the federal debt, all while the president sat feet away at the head table.
At the conference on Saturday, Mr. Carson used brain anatomy to explain the human capacity to plan ahead, quoted Jesus, and told his story of growing up poor in Chicago with a single mother who made him read. He rejected the notion that he should talk about race because he is black, again noting that all brains look the same.
“When did we reach a point when you have to have a certain philosophy because of the color of your skin†he said.
Mr. Carson advocates a flat tax, saying he finds the idea of letting those with less income! pay a proportionally smaller tax bill “very offensive, having grown up poor. What you’re saying is I, the superior and elite one, will take care of you.â€
He has also said that health savings accounts, combined with catastrophic health insurance, would be a better solution to rising health care costs.
Already a seasoned member of the lecture circuit, Mr. Carson uses comedy to showcase his intellectual credentials. He mocked critics of his policy prescriptions who might say, “He’s a neurosurgeon, so he couldn’t know anything about economics.â€
After a beat, he added, “It’s not brain surgery.â€
He announced on Saturday that he intends to retire from medicine later this year to focus on his education scholarship program.
“Once we get that taken care of, who knows what I’ll do,†said Mr. Carson, 62, to cheers from the crowd.
After his speech, Mr. Carson’s name could be heard in murmurs in the hallways of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Cener, on the Potomac riverfront just outside Washington. Eric Ekman, who traveled from Sandy Hook, Conn., to attend the conference, said he had never heard of Mr. Carson until Saturday’s speech. But he immediately bought Mr. Carson’s new book, “America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great,†and was eager to learn more.
Already, Mr. Ekman was impressed that Mr. Carson “made a scholarship fund so he could encourage students as opposed to athletes.†That was in contrast, Mr. Ekman said, to politicians who join government to try to shrink it, without offering private alternatives.
