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Ben Carson drops out of presidential race: 'I'm leaving the campaign trail' Ben Carson drops out of presidential race: 'I'm leaving the campaign trail'
(35 minutes later)
Ben Carson finally ended his presidential campaign on Friday, two days after announcing that he didn’t see “a political path forward” and long after his once-promising campaign for the Republican nomination had imploded.Ben Carson finally ended his presidential campaign on Friday, two days after announcing that he didn’t see “a political path forward” and long after his once-promising campaign for the Republican nomination had imploded.
The retired neurosurgeon announced he was suspending his campaign in a speech at CPAC, the annual conservative political conference.The retired neurosurgeon announced he was suspending his campaign in a speech at CPAC, the annual conservative political conference.
“I’m leaving the campaign trail,” Carson said. “I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation. We have to save it.”“I’m leaving the campaign trail,” Carson said. “I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation. We have to save it.”
In a rambling speech, Carson, who justly noted “there are a lot of people who love me; they just won’t vote for me”, buried his announcement in between digressions about the late community organizer Saul Alinsky and attacks on the Federal Reserve for “suppressing interest rates”.In a rambling speech, Carson, who justly noted “there are a lot of people who love me; they just won’t vote for me”, buried his announcement in between digressions about the late community organizer Saul Alinsky and attacks on the Federal Reserve for “suppressing interest rates”.
Explaining his decision to drop out, Carson said: “I did the math, I looked at the states, I looked at the delegate counts. I simply realized that it wasn’t going to happen. And if that was the case, I didn’t want to interfere with the process.”Explaining his decision to drop out, Carson said: “I did the math, I looked at the states, I looked at the delegate counts. I simply realized that it wasn’t going to happen. And if that was the case, I didn’t want to interfere with the process.”
The decision marked a fall from grace for Carson, the only Republican candidate besides Donald Trump to have led in multiple national polls since the current frontrunner’s emergence over the summer. Carson has also raised more money than any other Republican candidate for the White House.The decision marked a fall from grace for Carson, the only Republican candidate besides Donald Trump to have led in multiple national polls since the current frontrunner’s emergence over the summer. Carson has also raised more money than any other Republican candidate for the White House.
The mild-mannered neurosurgeon, famed for being the first person to separate twins conjoined at the head, became a prominent political figure in 2013. Then, as the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast, he launched a furious diatribe against Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act as the president sat just feet away. The speech turned the 64-year-old African American doctor into a beloved figure among conservatives and fueled his insurgent presidential bid, which began last year.The mild-mannered neurosurgeon, famed for being the first person to separate twins conjoined at the head, became a prominent political figure in 2013. Then, as the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast, he launched a furious diatribe against Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act as the president sat just feet away. The speech turned the 64-year-old African American doctor into a beloved figure among conservatives and fueled his insurgent presidential bid, which began last year.
However, Carson, a first time candidate for elected office, was plagued by a disorganized campaign that never built up the political apparatus necessary for a winning campaign. There was never the political and press operation necessary to mount a winning effort in a campaign plagued by infighting and in which Carson confidant Armstrong Williams played an outsized role and often undermined paid staffers. But many of the issues came from a campaign where even the candidate admitted that his staffers “didn’t really seem to understand finances”. However, Carson, a first time candidate for elected office, was plagued by a disorganized campaign that never built up the political apparatus necessary to win. There was never the political and press operation necessary to mount a winning effort in a campaign plagued by infighting and in which Carson confidant Armstrong Williams played an outsized role and often undermined paid staffers. But many of the issues came from a campaign where even the candidate admitted that his staffers “didn’t really seem to understand finances”.
Much of the money raised by the campaign went to the firms of top consultants, including Mike Murray, who founded American Legacy Pac, one of a number of organizations that have been criticized for raising considerable amounts of money but spending comparatively little on political issues, instead directing most of the money raised to consultants. Before launching his presidential bid, Carson was chair of American Legacy Pac.Much of the money raised by the campaign went to the firms of top consultants, including Mike Murray, who founded American Legacy Pac, one of a number of organizations that have been criticized for raising considerable amounts of money but spending comparatively little on political issues, instead directing most of the money raised to consultants. Before launching his presidential bid, Carson was chair of American Legacy Pac.
Carson’s campaign has followed the same blueprint, with most of the $58m raised going back into fundraising costs. The result has raised questions about whether Carson was taken advantage of by his aides. When asked by the Guardian in January if his campaign was a direct mail scam, Carson simply replied “not that I know of.” Carson’s campaign has followed the same blueprint, with most of the $58m raised going back into fundraising costs. The result has raised questions about whether Carson was taken advantage of by his aides. When asked by the Guardian in January if his campaign was a direct mail scam, Carson simply replied: “Not that I know of.”
While Carson’s campaign was one of the few, along with Trump’s, to file complete lists of the delegates they might win in nearly every state, he had little success actually accumulating delegates. Carson has only won eight total delegates, in contrast to Trump’s 329, and his best state so far was Alaska, where he received the support of 10.9% of caucus-goers. While Carson’s campaign was one of the few, along with Trump’s, to file complete lists of the delegates they might win in nearly every state, he had little success actually accumulating delegates. Carson has only won eight delegates, in contrast to Trump’s 329, and his best state so far was Alaska, where he received the support of 10.9% of caucus-goers.
With his candidacy ending, Carson will take a new role as chair of My Faith Votes, a nonpartisan group that will focus on turning out Christians in November. With his candidacy ending, Carson will take a new role as chair of My Faith Votes, a non-partisan group that will focus on turning out Christians in November.