Ben Carson's campaign chairman decries 'social engineering' with gays, women in military

[webfact]

Ben Carson campaign Chairman Robert Dees decries 'social engineering' with gays, women in military
By Tal Kopan, CNN

Washington (CNN)Ben Carson's new campaign chairman, retired Major Gen. Robert F. Dees, says it's time for the U.S. to reevaluate military policies like letting women serve in combat positions and allowing openly gay troops to serve.

Carson is debuting his "reinvigorated" campaign after a holiday shakeup that included the departure of a handful of top advisers and new leadership, including the recently promoted Dees, who sat down with Carson for an interview Monday with CNN's Jake Tapper at his Alexandria campaign headquarters.

The retired Army major general has in the past been outspoken about the nation's military, blasting "social engineering" he contends is degrading the national defense.

Full story: http://us.cnn.com/2016/01/04/politics/ben-carson-robert-dees-women-gays-military/index.html


-- CNN 2016-01-05

[Emster23]

I wonder if Dr. C got into college because of "social engineering"? He doesn't seem bright enough to have gone in solely on qualifications & intelligence.

[blazes]

Carson looks like he's escaped from the film-set of Dr Strangelove. I can see him as yet one more of Peter Sellers' brilliant characters in that movie. Perhaps a brain surgeon mole, inserted by the KGB into the heart of the USA's military HQ, prepared to operate on all the generals to adjust their attitudes....

[Seastallion]

Give up, Carson. You are so out of touch with reality that you have no chance of ever becoming president. None whatsoever. IF you got the Rep nomination, it would simply guarantee a Democrat victory.

You are so out of touch with reality that you don't realise you have a snowball's chance in hell.

[Ulysses G.]

I wonder if Dr. C got into college because of "social engineering"? He doesn't seem bright enough to have gone in solely on qualifications & intelligence.

Dr. Ben Carson, being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head, is arguably the best neurosurgeon in America. You are not a good judge of intelligence - to put it mildly.

[Seastallion]

I wonder if Dr. C got into college because of "social engineering"? He doesn't seem bright enough to have gone in solely on qualifications & intelligence.

Dr. Ben Carson, being the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head, is arguably the best neurosurgeon in America. You are not a good judge of intelligence - to put it mildly.

And you judge intelligence as being a person who thinks the pyramids were made for grain storage, that Darwin's Theory of Evolution was inspired by the devil, that gun control meant that the Jews couldn't protect themselves and thus had there been no gun control there would have been no holocaust, that Obama's overtures for gun control are actually the prelude to dictatorship, that a flat rate of tax is the best system,...and dozens more inane comments and beliefs.

[Ulysses G.]

He graduated from Yale University. The Library of Congress selected Carson as one of its "Living Legends." and the following year, CNN and Time magazine named Carson as one of the nation's 20 foremost physicians and scientists. Carson has received a legion of honorary doctorate degrees and accolades, and has sat on the boards of numerous business and education boards. No matter ones politics, an honest person would concede that he is clever indeed.

[attrayant]

No matter ones politics, an honest person would concede that he is clever indeed.

Then what's your take on why he keeps saying such unbelievably stupid sh!t?

Edited January 6, 2016 by attrayant

[Ulysses G.]

I think you and your friends are a little too brain-washed by silly, left-wing political rhetoric.

[Seastallion]

No matter ones politics, an honest person would concede that he is clever indeed.

Then what's your take on why he keeps saying unbelievably stupid sh!t?

Perhaps he WAS clever. Not any more.

[attrayant]

I think you and your friends are a little too brain-washed by silly, left-wing political rhetoric.

Ben Carson - is that you??

Edited January 6, 2016 by attrayant

[lostboy]

He graduated from Yale University. The Library of Congress selected Carson as one of its "Living Legends." and the following year, CNN and Time magazine named Carson as one of the nation's 20 foremost physicians and scientists. Carson has received a legion of honorary doctorate degrees and accolades, and has sat on the boards of numerous business and education boards. No matter ones politics, an honest person would concede that he is clever indeed.

I have met and worked with many intelligent people through out the years. I have met and worked with many highly skilled people. I have also met and worked with many Leaders, both elected and appointed. Carson is no leader. Technical skills in one field do not immediately translate to higher order abilities in other fields. Even in his own field, his contributions are limited with his works being mainly ideologically and religiously driven. He displays no coherent knowledge of world affairs. He chooses issues to fight that are already resolved and are not at all current with the new generation. He has no demonstrated ability to unify people with inclusive policies and strategies. I do not see these things as indicators of cleverness.

What is more appalling is that he is representative of most of the clowns in this election cycle's clown car. Now that they are starting to turn on each other, the empty shirts like Carson will drop away quickly.

[Ulysses G.]

So he is intelligent and very accomplished, but believes in different things than YOU do. Now that we've got that straight.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Ulysses G.

[stevenl]

So he is intelligent and very accomplished, but believes in different things than YOU do. Now that we've got that straight.

"And you judge intelligence as being a person who thinks the pyramids were made for grain storage, that Darwin's Theory of Evolution was inspired by the devil, that gun control meant that the Jews couldn't protect themselves and thus had there been no gun control there would have been no holocaust, that Obama's overtures for gun control are actually the prelude to dictatorship, that a flat rate of tax is the best system,...and dozens more inane comments and beliefs."

Some of these things you may want to discuss, but others are simply ludicrous for any reasonable thinking mind.

[Ulysses G.]

He also said that race relations have gotten WORSE under Obama's leadership. He certainly got that one right.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Ulysses G.

[stevenl]

He also said that race relations have gotten WORSE under Obama's leadership. He certainly got that one right.

Yes, agree with that. I do think though the republican rhetoric (we're against) is to blame for that, not the president. But he has failed at that, and I would presume that would be one of his biggest regrets.

Edited January 6, 2016 by stevenl

[thaibeachlovers]

He also said that race relations have gotten WORSE under Obama's leadership. He certainly got that one right.

Also, black youth unemployment under Obama has become worse and the murder rate of black men in Chicago ( run by Obama's man ) is a national disgrace.

So much for hope then.

[thaibeachlovers]

He also said that race relations have gotten WORSE under Obama's leadership. He certainly got that one right.

Yes, agree with that. I do think though the republican rhetoric (we're against) is to blame for that, not the president. But he has failed at that, and I would presume that would be one of his biggest regrets.

Yeah, it's all down to those nasty Republicans.

Obama doesn't actually have a pen and a phone after all, and he didn't have a Dems majority in both houses at the start of his reign. 5555555555555

Do you know why Bill Clinton was successful in his second term? It's because he worked WITH the Republicans. He didn't go around whining that it was all their fault he couldn't get anything done.

[stevenl]

He also said that race relations have gotten WORSE under Obama's leadership. He certainly got that one right.

Yes, agree with that. I do think though the republican rhetoric (we're against) is to blame for that, not the president. But he has failed at that, and I would presume that would be one of his biggest regrets.

Yeah, it's all down to those nasty Republicans.

Obama doesn't actually have a pen and a phone after all, and he didn't have a Dems majority in both houses at the start of his reign. 5555555555555

Do you know why Bill Clinton was successful in his second term? It's because he worked WITH the Republicans. He didn't go around whining that it was all their fault he couldn't get anything done.

You may have noticed the Republican party had changed since Bill's time. Hence they are in shambles and are making any cooperation impossible.

They only unify when they can be against something or somebody.

Edited January 6, 2016 by stevenl

[Prbkk]

Carson looks like he's escaped from the film-set of Dr Strangelove. I can see him as yet one more of Peter Sellers' brilliant characters in that movie. Perhaps a brain surgeon mole, inserted by the KGB into the heart of the USA's military HQ, prepared to operate on all the generals to adjust their attitudes....

Indeed: Uncle Tom meets Merkin Muffley

[lostboy]

So he is intelligent and very accomplished, but believes in different things than YOU do. Now that we've got that straight.

I realise that one of your favourite tactics is to call people liars when you are losing an argument but you have taken some very serious liberties with what I said. Since you are such a Carson booster and apparently know many details about him, could you perhaps identify one area, just one, where he has shown leadership to unify disparate and differently thinking people. I stated that he has no skills to be a leader who unites people. Nothing about his accomplishments or this different beliefs. Your projection of your own angst onto others is plain here. So now we have that straight, perhaps you can comment on the topic. Why is the subject of Gays and Women in the Military being raised? How will Carson unify Americans on this issue? How will he be a leader. I think his standard get out of a box answer of "I will study this and choose the right answer" is a load of poop.

[Ulysses G.]

I only call out people for lying when I can prove it. You have contributed mostly a bunch of ill-informed OPINIONS to this thread, so can't really call them lies. One of them is saying that I am a "Ben Carson booster", which I certainly am not.

I think he is a great man with no political experience and I think he needs some before running for president. My favorite candidate is Marco Rubio so far. He is very intelligent, understands the issues and is charismatic. I agree with most of his positions. He also makes Hillary look very OLD.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Ulysses G.

[mopar71]

So he is intelligent and very accomplished, but believes in different things than YOU do. Now that we've got that straight.

I wonder what his critics have ever accomplished? Probably nothing close to brain surgery.

For the record, I don't agree with this crazy stuff that Carson says, but he isn't stupid. Is he a leader? No less than the Community Organizer was...or arguably is.

I can guarantee that if he were running as a Democrat his critics would be labelled racist without a doubt. Don't believe me? Try using some of these comments in the future with the names changed from Carson to Obama and watch what happens. Accomplished conservative blacks have always been victims of double standards in our country....Carson, Condi, Justice Thomas, etc. That sends a good message to black youth.

[thaibeachlovers]

So he is intelligent and very accomplished, but believes in different things than YOU do. Now that we've got that straight.

I wonder what his critics have ever accomplished? Probably nothing close to brain surgery.

For the record, I don't agree with this crazy stuff that Carson says, but he isn't stupid. Is he a leader? No less than the Community Organizer was...or arguably is.

I can guarantee that if he were running as a Democrat his critics would be labelled racist without a doubt. Don't believe me? Try using some of these comments in the future with the names changed from Carson to Obama and watch what happens. Accomplished conservative blacks have always been victims of double standards in our country....Carson, Condi, Justice Thomas, etc. That sends a good message to black youth.

Seems that any black guy that wants to be a Republican is automatically an Uncle Tom, regardless of their achievements.

No, he is probably not a suitable President because he has no experience in the real world of scoundrels and backstabbers, but he has no chance of winning the selection anyway.

If Obama had been a Republican candidate in this election, no doubt all those disparaging Carson would also be using the same judgements on him. It's a Pavlovian response to the word Republican.

[thaibeachlovers]

Where were all you anti GOP guys when Bush the younger was up for election? Had you done your thing we might have been spared the entire unfortunate Iraq episode. AND you even elected him twice, corblime.

[lostboy]

I only call out people for lying when I can prove it. You have contributed mostly a bunch of ill-informed OPINIONS to this thread, so can't really call them lies. One of them is saying that I am a "Ben Carson booster", which I certainly am not.

I think he is a great man with no political experience and I think he needs some before running for president. My favorite candidate is Marco Rubio so far. He is very intelligent, understands the issues and is charismatic. I agree with most of his positions. He also makes Hillary look very OLD.

What opinions? Ill-informed or otherwise? I asked on topic questions to which you continue to deflect into personal attack and irrelevancies. The fact that Carson's campaign Chairman is advocating action on social issues that have divided society and disenfranchised a significant number of people from equal treatment under the law for so long says a lot about Carson and his lack of leadership. The fact that his response to defecting these issues is to claim that he will study them and choose the right answer. All of these facts are verifiable. Not my opinion at all. My opinion is that leadership promotes unity not divisiveness. Carson and the crowd that he has collected around him in this embarrassment to the American political process deserve all the attacks they are receiving with the resultant drop in his poll numbers and his eventual withdrawal from this race. His separation of conjoined twins, his technical knowledge or anything else about him relating to intelligence or cleverness or similar is entirely irrelevant in the face of his divisive and bigoted agenda. That, for the avoidance of doubt, is my opinion.

[Ulysses G.]

I only call out people for lying when I can prove it. You have contributed mostly a bunch of ill-informed OPINIONS to this thread, so can't really call them lies. One of them is saying that I am a "Ben Carson booster", which I certainly am not.

I think he is a great man with no political experience and I think he needs some before running for president. My favorite candidate is Marco Rubio so far. He is very intelligent, understands the issues and is charismatic. I agree with most of his positions. He also makes Hillary look very OLD.

What opinions? Ill-informed or otherwise?

It seems that you need to buy a dictionary. These are all nothing but OPINIONS - nothing more:

"Carson is no leader"

"He has no coherent knowledge of world affairs".

"He chooses issues to fight that are already resolved".

​

[lostboy]

I only call out people for lying when I can prove it. You have contributed mostly a bunch of ill-informed OPINIONS to this thread, so can't really call them lies. One of them is saying that I am a "Ben Carson booster", which I certainly am not.

I think he is a great man with no political experience and I think he needs some before running for president. My favorite candidate is Marco Rubio so far. He is very intelligent, understands the issues and is charismatic. I agree with most of his positions. He also makes Hillary look very OLD.

What opinions? Ill-informed or otherwise?

It seems that you need to buy a dictionary. These are all nothing but OPINIONS - nothing more:

"Carson is no leader"

"He has no coherent knowledge of world affairs".

"He chooses issues to fight that are already resolved".

​

I can see that your persistent focus on arguing the definition of opinion avoids the need for any response to the topic. You take statements out of context to reinforce your tactic. I have stated my view. I have asked questions in the Socratic tradition to elicit responses to that view. You are continually unable to provide any. Instead you throw up irrelevant details, your so called 'facts', to push your opinion on the 'cleverness' of this candidate for public office.

Right wing defensiveness when someone points to their heroes having feet of clay. Play the victim. Deflect to personal attack. Distract with irrelevancies. Everything but address an issue.

All three of the statements you chose are on topic. Care to say anything about them?

Edited January 7, 2016 by lostboy

[mopar71]

My opinion is that leadership promotes unity not divisiveness.

Then we can agree that neither Carson nor Obama possess leadership qualities because our people have become even more divided since 2009.

Obama's stated belief during the 2008 campaign was that marriage is between a man and a woman. HIS stated belief, not that of his campaign chairman. Of course, after he got elected he changed his position. (That is a lesson for some of you...candidates say all kinds of crap to get that primary vote then change their mind after getting elected. They always have, always will)

Both Carson and Obama went to Ivy League schools, one through studying hard, one through Affirmative Action, one graduated school to became one of the world's top brain surgeons, the other parlayed his degree to become a community organizer.

Obama wasn't presidential material in 2008 but the country got swept up in his rhetoric and the romantic idea of electing a good-looking, well-spoken half-black guy from a middle class white family in Hawaii.

Carson doesn't have a chance to become president but as historic as Obama's 2008 election was, it would be FANTASTIC to elect a black guy descended from slaves, from a poor, single parent home, who through his own hard work rose to the top of a profession where intelligence & skill are central and not just popularity & teleprompter reading.

[lostboy]

My opinion is that leadership promotes unity not divisiveness.

Then we can agree that neither Carson nor Obama possess leadership qualities because our people have become even more divided since 2009.

Obama's stated belief during the 2008 campaign was that marriage is between a man and a woman. HIS stated belief, not that of his campaign chairman. Of course, after he got elected he changed his position. (That is a lesson for some of you...candidates say all kinds of crap to get that primary vote then change their mind after getting elected. They always have, always will)

Both Carson and Obama went to Ivy League schools, one through studying hard, one through Affirmative Action, one graduated school to became one of the world's top brain surgeons, the other parlayed his degree to become a community organizer.

Obama wasn't presidential material in 2008 but the country got swept up in his rhetoric and the romantic idea of electing a good-looking, well-spoken half-black guy from a middle class white family in Hawaii.

Carson doesn't have a chance to become president but as historic as Obama's 2008 election was, it would be FANTASTIC to elect a black guy descended from slaves, from a poor, single parent home, who through his own hard work rose to the top of a profession where intelligence & skill are central and not just popularity & teleprompter reading.

At least you admit that Carson does not have leadership qualities. The rest of your rubbish, with its hints of homophobia and its blatant racism is disgusting. Its obvious ideological bias is boring.

Obama will leave his 2nd term in office with an historical legacy. Your puerile attacks on his home life, schooling and career is just the bitterness of a non entity commenting on things greater than himself. Nothing to say on topic. So, relax. Enjoy the beer bars. Pay your taxes. Cast your single vote in November but leave the discussion to the grown ups.