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CNN Features Ben Carson Interview…But Why Did They Avoid Talking Politics?

Mar. 17, 2013 2:18pm Mytheos Holt

Since Dr. Ben Carson’s CPAC speech, the mild-mannered neurosurgeon has attracted a sizable amount of buzz, especially given his allusion to a potential 2016 presidential run in that very speech.

And now, the buzz appears to have spread to the mainstream media, because the speech gained Carson an invite to CNN’s “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley, to participate in the shows “Getting to Know” segment, devoted to up-and-coming political figures.

However, for an interview with a political figure, there was just one rather odd omission: Throughout the interview, Crowley did not ask Carson his opinion on one single political issue. Rather, the interview centered on Carson’s upbringing, how he learned to control his temper, his decision to work as a doctor and his preferred sports team — in short, everything but his politics.

Now, granted, the “Getting to Know” segment on “State of the Union” doesn’t often include explicitly political questions, but rather focuses on looking at particular figures’ backgrounds. However, watching the CNN interview, one would never get any idea that Carson had political opinions, or was involved in politics at all. In other words, Crowley not only didn’t ask Carson his opinions, but didn’t even ask what had compelled him to form opinions and act on them in the first place. Even a softball question like, “You’re a surgeon, not a politician, so what made you start paying attention to politics” was never asked.

This is even odder when you factor in that Crowley explicitly mentioned Carson’s political future at one point during the interview — specifically, when Carson declined to name a favorite sports team, and Crowley chided him for not taking sides. An audience member unfamiliar with Carson’s background calling out President Obama could’ve been forgiven for having to frantically Google him at that point to find out why Crowley was referring to him as a politician.

Was CNN simply trying to avoid any hint of controversy? Or was this due to the constraints of the segment? Who knows, but if Carson is serious about presidential ambitions, it’ll probably be the last time any media figure willingly lets him avoid the subject of politics.

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Comments (44)

addie
Posted on March 19, 2013 at 10:33am
The best thing CNN can do for him. The the left get to know and like him as a person. When the time comes, they will be much more willing to hear him. He might even change some minds.

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tloverton
Posted on March 19, 2013 at 8:16am
That’s because CNN knew that as soon as candy asked him the question, he would show the world just how stupid that she really is.

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oldsoldier10
Posted on March 18, 2013 at 9:05am
I do not care that CNN asked nothing political to Dr. Carson. I do care the Dr. Carson is gettin exposure and people are starting to know him and his background. Dr. Carson 2016, if the USA survives!

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- richauthor
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:11am
  The best thing about Dr. Carson is that he THINKS and SPEAKS logic. However, that is something that a low-information voter is not able to relate to. He will have to work hard to get their votes. Could he succeed as President? Absolutely. Dr. Carson has enough intelligence to be able to recognize and rely on experts in matters of government that are not normally associated with medicine. Dr. Carson is, BY FAR, the superior intellect to Obama. Unlike Obama, Dr. Carson has RECOGNIZED intellect… not a false genius persona created by Axelrod, Plouffe, Pelosi, and Reid.
  
  Sadly, the main stream media and the liberal assassins will attempt to vilify this wonderful man. They will attempt to find something in his past that indicates he is a racial anomaly, a sucessful black man who could only reached his station in life because of his “Uncle Tom” attitude. They have done it with every successful SELF-MADE black man to date: Herman Cain, Justice Clarence Thomas, General Colin Powell, Dr. Thomas Sowell, Secretary Condoleeza Rice, Mayor Mia Love, Senator Tim Scott, LTCol. Alan West, et al.
  
  Report this comment
- happ77
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:51am
  Good man, yes
  Conservative, not really, read his book
  
  Report this comment
- richauthor
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 10:55am
  @HAPP77:
  
  And THIS (his book) would keep you from supporting him?
  
  Report this comment
- happ77
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 12:00pm
  @richauthor, I didn’t say I wouldn’t support him. I may not
  agree with him on everything but at least he’s a good person
  and that goes a long way with me. He seems like an honest
  man and they are very rare in D.C. I’m only saying he’s not
  as conservative as he’s being portraid.
  
  Report this comment
edie1945
Posted on March 18, 2013 at 7:16am
Hmmmm….nothing political….why? Getting to know one, hmmmmm. Talk about intelligence….wow something our President really lacks, Dr. Carson has in spades!! Hmmm Is God telling us something???

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- TurboCat
  Posted on March 19, 2013 at 4:35am
  And the so-called “President” has not a humble bone in his body NOR does he have any decency.
  
  Report this comment
shorelineliz
Posted on March 18, 2013 at 6:10am
Ben Carson: Defund Obamacare
http://www.newsmax.com

World-renown pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson has no problems with losing Obamacare in the quest to find a more affordable, efficient, and patient-friendly healthcare system for the nation.

“There are many more economic models out there that can be used to give us much better healthcare than what we have now,” Carson said on Saturday in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Caucus outside Washington. “If we have to work within the framework of the Affordable Care Act, fine. If we can find a way to defund it, fine.”

His Obamacare suggestion brought rousing cheers from the audience at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Md. “We have to find more efficient ways.”

Carson, director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, added: “Healthcare is one-sixth of our economy. If the government can control that, they can control anything.

“We were asleep at the wheel to let it happen,” he said, referring to Obamacare, “but we still have to find a way to make it work.”

Carson discussed the importance of health savings accounts in controlling spiraling medical costs.

“Eighty percent of the encounters between a patient and a healthcare provider could easily be handled by a health savings account, without the need to insinuate a third party or a bureaucracy that sucks out at leasout at least a third of the money,” he said. “There are ways we can

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cknapp
Posted on March 18, 2013 at 3:09am
Why do Conservatives even go on MSM shows? The MSM is NOT their audience, as Conservatives will never win over the 47 percent. By going on MSM shows they only help their viewership…. Instead, Conservatives need to get their message out to the BASE and energize the BASE.

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NigelTufnel
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 11:15pm
The next election is miles away and the MSM doesn’t quite know what to do with the good doctor. He’s black. He’s not a businessman(like Cain). Doctors have that social worker vibe to them. He’s brilliant. He has only hinted at running. There’s no reason to panic yet. So the safe play here is to invite him on so as to seem inclusive, run a feel good piece because his life is that of hard work. I guarentee you if he announces as a republican he is dead meat. Fabrication and smear will rule the day. But for now they are just hoping he goes away. My guess is they will continue to try and co-opt him. Act like they like his ideas. They will really have to hold their noses with life-long pre-tax medical accounts that can be passed on to your children. Holy Toledo that runs counter to the left. What will they do?

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- marssnw
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 12:00am
  They don’t wan’t to have a debate with a neurosurgeon. The man is brilliant and would make them all look like fools. He speaks with such intelligience, that their heads would spin on their shoulders from confusion.
  
  Report this comment
Kathleen3
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 10:32pm
CNN, MSNBC and other MSM outlets dare not elaborate on Dr. Carson’s political opinions, expertise, or future plans considering the massive following this man acquired following the Prayer Breakfast. In so doing they would lose the “racist” argument when a Caucasian spoke negatively of Obama yet praised Dr. Carson.

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Secret Squirrel
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 9:10pm
“Why Did They Avoid Talking Politics?”
Because the White House didn’t give CNN the green light to talk to Carson.
As soon as they get the Obama talking points, they’ll do a hard hitting piece.

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SidneyDave
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 8:04pm
Why is it that when someone makes a great speech everyone thinks they need to run for president? Why don’t we use all of the up and coming conservative to build a solid Republican platform first, then solicit a candidate that will represent the people using that platform. Did we not learn from the last two elections that when every candidate attacks each other that the voters can only make their selection based on who is not the worst instead of who’s the best.

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Captain_Sensible
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 6:12pm
From what little- emphasis on that- I know, Dr. Carson would make an excellent representative of the Conservative movement. If that leads to a political future, then so much the better.

However, I would caution my fellow Conservatives not to jump on the bandwagon until more of his views are learned. Remember not all that long ago when we on the Right were begging Colin Powell to run for President as a Republican? How about David Petraeus?

I’m in no way comparing Dr. Carson to either of them, except insofar as there was much we didn’t know about Powell and Petraeus and that there is much we do not know about Carson. If his views on other issues are as solidly Conservative as are his views on Obamacare and the excessive size and influence of the Federal government, then we may have found a winner. But I council patience here until we learn more.

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- cous1933
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 7:26pm
  Check out his statements on gun control and then make up your mind. Personally, I’ll pass on Dr. Carson.
  
  Report this comment
moreoilplease
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 5:08pm
Stay out of politics. Feed the machine good individuals and it spits out Karl Rove. Save yourself Doc, get away from the lime light. The machine needs to be broken.

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garbagecanlogic
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 5:08pm
This was merely cnn and the progressive establishment attempting to get any dirt on him they can just in case he does run for public office.

Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8

The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.

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LoveBringsTruth
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 4:41pm
For some reason I see a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I think Beck really exposed him in his interview. He was also exposed on shawn hannity when he showed his love for rhino republican rubio and commi christie.

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tothepoint
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 4:21pm
CNN cringes at the thought of a brilliant black man who has figured out that the lefty Progressives are dangerous for all nationalities and our country. Carson doesn’t toe the lefty line so they don’t want to broadcast either his brilliance or his political opinions. If Carson had been an entitled, angry, racist black like some of the black race-baiters, CNN would’ve been knocking themselves out getting his grievances aired.

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- geeman
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 6:33pm
  They didn’t want to hear good ideas and ways to repair our nation coming from a black man. But they will listen to a black man who wants to destroy it. Because they have all been brainwashed.
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:38pm
Maybe this is CNN’s version of ” don’t ask because we don’t want him to tell ” the stuff that makes Obama and the radicals look like the political opportunists and liars that they are. ( Hillary would have loved to appear with Candy over the Benghazi attack : Candy could have asked her hard questions like what will Hillary be serving for the Easter holidays . )

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longun45
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:27pm
CNN and journalism, two words that do not belong in the same sentence.

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woodyee
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:20pm
It’s like having a cop show up to your house after you having robbed a bank; you’ll want to talk about anything except what may incriminate you.

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- MAX0O1
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 6:29pm
  AH JUST tell them you are an I-L-L-E-G-A-L ALIEN.
  
  Report this comment
AmericanWomanFirst
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:10pm
um…it’s not optimal? Ya know, the so called “slave” as the poor-gressive posse’s would demonize, how on earth could this black man shake the chains and leave the plantation, how dare he.

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neverending
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:49pm
He is truly an amazing man and he is exactly right about anger – when all isn’t about you it is hard to get angry. Many need to do the same and step out of the circle. Look forward to seeing and hearing much more from the giant of a man.

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Flannie
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:43pm
I don’t think he’s going to run for office. He was being tongue in cheek there. He has a lot to offer, but it will likely be in other areas, at least for the time being. One thing is clear. He is fantastically inspiring and brings a message that will resonate with a lot of people beyond the Republican/conservative scope.

There’s nothing wrong with an interview such as this. Offered without politics, it provides a golden opportunity for people to, well, get to know him without prejudice. Then, when he shows up again on their radar, more people are likely to remember him in a positive light and will be more inclined to LISTEN to him. My verdict: it’s all good.

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- Shasta.Red.Banks
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:56pm
  Carson said he would run if called by God to do so. Time for this one to pray about it.
  
  Report this comment
- MotoLeo2
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 5:53am
  good point
  
  Report this comment
cast
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:41pm
CNN does not care about Dr. Carsons common sense political views. They do not fit the CNN agenda.

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bigbear_awake
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:38pm
trying to see in his CLOSET???(DIRT) for the popas

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The-Monk
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:34pm
He’s a nice guy and I like his story and no-nonsense non-PC ways…

However, I want some to start asking him about the 2nd Amendment and global warming.

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- DR.SIGMUND-P-FLOYD
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:02pm
  Mr Monk
  
  Yes the whole book not just the cover is always nice.
  However the cover is intriguing.
  
  Report this comment
- The-Monk
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:08pm
  Hi Doc,
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SwNXQMoNps
  
  Report this comment
- DR.SIGMUND-P-FLOYD
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:16pm
  So I gather that you would rather I address you as
  Sir Monk? (:
  
  Report this comment
- curmudgeon60
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:38pm
  MONK… I’ve known of and heard this man speak for almost 30 years. One convo w/Niger Innis or the Rev Kenn Blanchard would convince him on 2nd ammen., I’m sure. Also, SDA’s believe that God is in control, not man. (re: global warming).
  
  Report this comment
- IndyGuy
  Posted on March 18, 2013 at 9:21am
  Candy Crowley is a snake and shouldn’t be given the time of day…I’m starting to question Ben Carson’s political smarts…
  
  Report this comment
MDECKER
Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:25pm
It’s called, “minimization”.

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- gyro
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:41pm
  bingo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  next week he does not exist
  
  Report this comment
- Triple7
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 2:50pm
  Yep. They tried the vitriolic route and failed. Now this. The false outrage didnt take hold so minimize the man to less than marginal.
  
  Report this comment
- DR.SIGMUND-P-FLOYD
  Posted on March 17, 2013 at 3:10pm
  Seems to me with the internet and social media it will be up to those that have interest in him to keep his name alive. Would take some work and determination but possible.
  
  Report this comment

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