Western Conservative Summit 2015 – Dr. Ben Carson, Presidential Candidate

Of all the GOP candidates that spoke at the 2015 Western Conservative Summit (hereinafter referred to as, “Summit”), pediatric Neurosurgeon, Benjamin Solomon Carson, MD is the person we need to be the next President of the United States of America.  Regardless of what the other members of the political class say they may do, none of them has held the lives of children in their hands.  With our nation slipping closer into a terminal condition, we need an accomplished surgeon in charge.  He will surgically remove the progressive, malignant tumors metastasizing throughout the Federal government.  Dr. Carson has diagnosed America’s multiple illnesses and moral degeneration.  In his presentation at the Summit (linked here: #WCS15 Ben Carson’s speech), he outlined his prescription for curing the foreign and domestic diseases destroying our body politic.  No other candidate, especially those of the political class, can be God’s surgical public servant to heal our land.  As I wrote in my last post regarding Carly Fiorina, if the GOP had any sense – wasting time with the Donald Trump/John McCain distraction proves their lack – they would make Dr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina the 2016 presidential ticket and send the rest of the political class home.

The night of Saturday, June 27, 2015 the Summit shifted into high gear. Dr. Ben Carson addressed the packed BELLCO Theater.  Of all the candidates, the one I wanted to hear the most was Dr. Ben Carson.  He did not disappoint the more than 5,000 strong, fun-loving conservatives.  He handled Byron York’s tough questions with intelligent answers and his now well-known grace and civility.  I summarized the salient points of Dr. Carson’s presentation below:

• Opening Remarks:  Political pundits say Dr. Carson won’t become the GOP nominee or president because he’s a political novice.  Dr. Carson rebutted stating the pundits forgot about the people.  Since announcing his exploratory committee, his campaign has received over 200,000 new donors (exceeding all other candidates).  Therefore, he does not have to, “lick the boots of the established donors.”  Then, he shifted to his prepared comments.
• Most important issue facing our nation:  Our government disregards the Constitution.  The Federal government no longer listens to the people.  The best example; the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).  The people shouted opposition, but the government crammed if down our throats (exempting themselves from the law).  Our government needs to look like its Constitutional design, beginning with the separation of powers.  The Congress represents the people – the final authority in the USA – the SCOTUS does not represent the people.
• Experience: The experts say Dr. Carson can’t win because he is not an experienced politician.  He countered by stating life experience is just as valuable as political experience – if not more so.  He’s experienced every strata of economic status – a connection he can make with all Americans. He has lived his adult life solving critical, life-threatening problems.  How many politicians can claim they’ve held someone’s life in their hands? He’s worked with organizations that operate efficiently (completing projects on-time and within budgets).  Anyone can see the government does not.  Dr. Carson restated ordinary people have amazing life experiences, which they can bring to our political discourse.
• Manufactured divisiveness:  The political class – supported by the media – has couched the arguments in our nation as between: Democrats vs. Republicans, Liberals vs. Conservatives, rich vs. poor.  They clamor about a war on women and widespread racism – neither is true.  It’s as if they want us to fight each other when we need to unite to fight radical Islam and solve our multiple problems.  The real argument is between those who are anti-America and pro-America, those who want to eliminate the Constitution and those who want to preserve, protect, and demand that our government operate by it.
• National debt and fiscal gap:  The national debt is above $18 Trillion.  Our unfunded liabilities are over $120 Trillion.  Both continue to grow at a staggering rate.  We keep going because we have the exclusive privilege of printing money.  What happens when the world ceases to use the American dollar as its economic standard?  We can prevent this from happening if and only if we unleash our economic engine.  Dr. Carson listed several ideas to stimulate our economy including: a six-month hiatus on all corporate taxes along with a drastic reduction in the current 35% rate (highest in the world); require businesses to use 10% of their reduced tax dollars for job creation, training, and new job research; invest in our own people – low rate loans for entrepreneurs; get rid of unnecessary regulations; and reform taxation into a fair and flat system prohibiting the government from raising taxes at any time on anyone.
• Leadership: America must take a leadership – not spectator – role in the world.  If America refuses to lead, someone else will.  All other potential world leaders do not have goodwill intentions.  For example, ISIS asserts its will now throughout the Middle East.  Russia continues to recreate the former Soviet empire, and China expands its control in the South China Sea.  These bad actors do not fear reprisals from anyone mostly because the president has chosen to stand aside and watch events unfold rather than lead.

After his prepared remarks, Dr. Carson sat down with Byron York for a question and answer (Q&A) Session.  Byron York asked him the same four questions he asked of all presenting presidential candidates at the Summit.  The questions and answers are as follows:

1. SCOTUS Homosexual Marriage Decision: The decision will spark uncountable litigations against Christian churches, Christian schools, colleges and universities.  Dr. Carson stated he has nothing against gay people; however, they are not entitled to special or extra rights above other citizens and they do not get to change things for everyone else.  The SCOTUS is not the final answer.  Congress needs to stop being a spectator and pass legislation that overrules the court.  As president, Dr. Carson would use the, “Bully Pulpit,” to shine light on the entire issue – not just one side – to protect Christians from being bullied and harmed by the militants who want to suppress the free exercise of religious liberty.
2. Obamacare’s impact on the Economy: Because infrastructure has been put in place, we can’t go back to pre-2009 health care; however, we can reform the entire system using less money.  For example, Dr. Carson would push for Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for everyone, which will cause individuals to have more say in their health care decisions with their doctors and remove the bureaucrat middle man.
3. Immigration:  We should keep the same level of immigration so long as we get to choose who comes into our country.  Dr. Carson stated that he has a problem with illegal immigration.  America can seal the borders without building a fence.  We can use technology, drones, and deployed personnel, etcetera to have constant surveillance; but more importantly, we need to turn off the money attraction.
4. A touchy point from the candidates past record (never held elected office): Dr. Carson considers the fact that he never held a political office a positive.  He said, “We’ll let the people decide.”

During Sunday’s closing ceremony, it was announced Dr. Ben Carson won the Summit Presidential straw poll (2nd year in a row), followed by Carly Fiorina, and Scott Walker (WCS15 Straw Poll), which happened to be my picked order.

To know more about Dr. Carson’s views, I recommend reading his book, “One Nation.”  If you do not have time to read the entire work, please consider Chapter 6, “No Winners in Political Fighting,” where he offers a Biblical application regarding the benefits of unity.  To understand how he can win, I recommend reading, “Ben Carson, RX For America,” by John Philip Sousa, IV. Finally, to know this man’s character I recommend watching, “Gifted Hands,” a movie, which portrays Dr. Carson’s moral character and his rise to the world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon we know today.

I want to interject a final personal comment.  I have a well-defined Biblical worldview.  I’ve been a politics junky for most of my life, since my dad ran for the United States Congress when I was four years old.  I am considered an expert regarding world and American history, political science, and worldview ideologies.  I am sick of the political class and what they’ve done to this country.  The current occupier of the White House is moving faster than we can track to dismantle the constitution.  We learned on Monday, July 20, 2015 the bully-in-chief is going to remove our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms from Social Security benefit recipients who are declared unfit by the Federal government.  If he successfully takes weapons from one group of American citizens, he’ll do it to all.  Once he disarms us, I believe he will suspend the law of the land and destroy our nation.  I seriously doubt that he will allow the 2016 elections.  I pray that I’m wrong.  If we survive eight years of deliberate dithering, and unconstitutional executive orders, we will need leaders like Carly Fiorina and Dr. Ben Carson who are solutions and results oriented.  Together, they can fix, heal, and fight for our One Nation Under God, with liberty and justice for all.

Again, Dr. Carson’s complete presentation is linked here: #WCS15 Dr. Ben Carson Speech.

Thanks for reading.  Let the restoration of our Constitutional Republic begin.

For further entertaining and educational reading regarding a past Constitutional crisis, I linked my Christian, Historical Fiction, Civil War novels here: Destination Hope

Future and Hope Blog

Centennial Institute Blog

Carly Fiorina, Presidential Candidate

Western Conservative Summit 2015 – Carly Fiorina, Presidential Candidate

In my last article, I promised a more detailed summary regarding two Presidential hopefuls: former Hewlett-Packard CEO, Carly Fiorina, and pediatric Neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, MD.  This post will address Carly Fiorina’s speech at the 2015 Western Conservative Summit (hereinafter referred to as, “Summit”).  As I write this piece, Ms. Fiorina has one percent of primary voters support.  Consequently, she will not be permitted to participate in the first national debate, which is a shame because America needs to her voice.  Recent news informs us of a Muslim in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who murdered four Marines and one Sailor.  The current occupier of the White House continues to refuse to acknowledge Islam’s war on all Americans.  He would rather demand that we accept his deal to help Iran build nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic delivery systems.  Carly Fiorina was the only presidential hopeful at the Summit to state a plan for dealing with the liar-in-chief’s deal.  She declared boldly she would make a phone call to the Ayatollah of Iran and tell him, “The new deal.”  At the same time, we now learn Planned Parenthood harvests and sells body parts of aborted babies.  Dr. Ben Carson has saved the lives of thousands of children and babies.  If the Republican Party had any sense, which they’ve proven for decades they don’t, they would make Dr. Carson and Ms. Fiorina the presidential ticket for 2016 today and send the rest of the circus acts home.

But this is about Carly Fiorina’s speech (Carly Fiorina).  During her presentation, she covered more issues in the short, allotted time (20 minutes) with greater clarity than any of the other presidential contenders.  If you do not have time to watch her full address (linked here: #WCS15 Carly Speech), I summarized a few key points below.

• Her core worldview: All people have God given gifts – True Leadership challenges the status quo and unlocks the God given potential in others.
• Conservatives Believe: All people have value in the eyes of God; none of us are better than any other and conservative values do a much better job of lifting all people up.
• Progressives Believe (their behavior reveals): Some people are smarter than others, some are better than others, and some should decide for others.
• America has reached a pivotal point: Too many peoples’ potentials are being crushed by the weight of government.  A recent FOX News poll revealed that 82% of Americans (across the political spectrum) believe that a political class exists in America that is only concerned with preserving their self-interests rather than serving the nation.
• Israel: Make it 100% clear we stand with Israel.
• Iran: Until every facility is open 100% of the time to unfettered inspections, we will make it impossible for Iran to move their money and influence around the world.
• Putin: Say nothing to him but rebuild the 6^th fleet and re-deploy our European missile defense systems.
• How to combat ISIS: Ask our Middle Eastern allies what do they need to fight and defeat ISIS?

·

After her prepared remarks, Carly Fiorina sat down with Byron York for a question and answer (Q&A) Session (11 Minutes).  Byron York asked her the same four questions he asked of all candidates who spoke at the Summit.  His questions and her answers are as follows:

1. SCOTUS Homosexual Marriage Decision: It was wrong for them to hear the case.  By ruling on this issue they have stifled all further discussion (free speech) regarding the matter.  The dialogue must continue – not gagged.
2. Economy: Crony Capitalism only serves big and bigger government and big and bigger businesses.  The small businesses across our nation are being crushed under the weight of confusing tax codes and strangled by oppressive regulations.  For example, Obama Care is causing the big medical and pharmaceutical companies and hospitals to consolidate and grow even larger.  The smaller organizations are going out of business.  The same is happening to our financial institutions under Dodd/Frank.  These big and bigger organizations have become not only too big to fail but too big to jail.
3. How to win the election:  We have to talk to everyone.  Our language matters, our tone matters, and we must speak with empathy.  We must show that we care.
4. A touchy point from the candidates past record (as CEO of HP): Tough times require tough decisions.  She said the hardest decision is to fire or lay someone off.  I disagree.  The hardest decision is to send men and women into battle knowing that a good percentage of them will make the ultimate sacrifice and give their lives for their country.

I want to interject one side comment.  Mary and I happened to sit next to a table filled with liberal news agency reporters (one from England).  Throughout Mike Huckabee’s presentation, they wrote their respective notes, scowled and never applauded.  I assume they felt defiled surrounded by Conservatives.  During Carly’s speech, she said that she had been asked if her female hormones might affect her judgment if she were president.  She asked the women in the audience, “Ladies, here’s a test.  How many men do you know whose judgment has been clouded by their hormones – including someone in the oval office?”  The entire audience erupted with thigh-slapping laughter and stood to applaud.  Even the scornful liberals laughed at this comment.  When she gave her answer to question 3 above, we could hear some of them saying they agreed with Carly’s point.  At the conclusion of her speech and again after the Q&A session, the crowd of more than 4,000 jumped to their feet and gave Carly Fiorina a standing ovation.  We watched our contemptuous liberal news members rise to their feet and applaud, too.  Many shouted to their fellows how much they liked Carly.  If she can win the hearts and minds of these highly committed, well-heeled ideologues, just think how well she could reach real thinking Americans.  This is why she should be part of the August 6, 2015 national debate on FOX.

Later, we had a short personal visit with Carly.  Mary played a harmless practical joke on her and she took it with good humor.  Then, she laughed out loud once she got the joke.  When we explained the liberal press member’s response to her hormone comment, we laughed together. Then, we encouraged her to press on with her campaign.  I recommend primary voters read Carly Fiorina’s personal story, “Rising to the Challenge,” and learn more about her.  You will gain greater personal insight into the depth of this remarkable woman who deserves to be heard in her bid for our nation’s highest office.  She can win and here’s why.

As I stated in my previous post, I haven’t been excited about a Republican contender since Ronald Reagan, she is the real deal, and she is a legitimate Presidential Candidate.  Carly is ready, willing and able to confront the political class queen, Hillary Clinton (The Queen, by Hugh Hewitt), on any day, under any condition, in any forum.  She is the only GOP candidate who can fight her majesty in an even contest.  All the men are prejudicially stamped with the scarlet, “Sexist,” label on their foreheads.  After eight years of deliberate dithering, we need a solutions and results oriented leader who can fix, heal, and fight for our One Nation Under God, with liberty and justice for all.