In a statement to supporters on Wednesday, Ben Carson finally admitted that he does not see “a political path forward” to the GOP nomination, especially in the wake of his dismal Super Tuesday results. Carson also announced that he will be skipping Thursday’s Fox News debate, which will be held in his hometown of Detroit, and that he will be making a speech on the future of his presidential bid on Friday during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.
Although Carson has not definitively announced dropping out of the race, his words on Wednesday took a decidedly darker tone than when he had addressed supporters right after the Super Tuesday primary results were announced. Despite not winning a single state, Carson said that he was “not moved or discouraged when the political class count me out… millions of Americans plead with me to continue… As long as we continue to receive their support, and the Lord keeps opening doors, I will remain in this presidential race.”
Carson, a retired neurosurgeon with no political experience, had strong polling results at the end of 2015, briefly rivaling current front-runner and noted racist Donald Trump. However, after a number of stumbles relating to his foreign policy knowledge and internal campaign staffing issues, his numbers declined sharply, and he has since remained at the bottom of the Republican pile. Carson’s campaign was also scrutinized for its spending habits- although in his statement, the candidate said that his campaign decisions were “not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people”.
As the only African American candidate from either party, early comparisons were drawn between Carson and Barack Obama. However, race was the only clear similarity between the two, with Carson playing up his evangelical roots, his “outsider status” (also known as his complete lack of political experience or expertise) and his tendency towards quiet bluntness that often read as sleepiness on the debate stage. The “Gifted Hands” author often provided a bizarre comedic effect to the Republican group, memorably declaring that Egypt’s pyramids were built for grain storage, recounting a childhood memory where he attempted to stab a friend, and comparing Obamacare to slavery.
We’re sad to see you go, friend.
