It’s rare when a politician, especially of the presidential candidate variety, does something that’s totally unscripted.
Well, this election season has produced two of the most unconventional presidential wannabes in recent times, both capable of doing the unexpected.
Whether or not you approve of their politics, Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson are not your typical contenders. For starters, both demonstrate an inclination for extremism and a willingness to risk alienating the moderate wing of the GOP.
In Carson’s case, it’s worrying that while vying for the highest office in the land, he’s thought to have, in order to boost his street cred, exaggerated his life experiences.
You heard right, and as a result, Carson is known in some circles as the Vanilla Ice of 2016 presidential politics.
People, you can’t make this stuff up. And, while I am not credentialed to offer an opinion as to whether Carson’s acknowledged acts are pathological in nature, it’s unsettling to think that the accomplished neurosurgeon wants to prove that during his youth, he participated in throwing rocks, bricks and baseball bats, stabbed a friend, and attacked his mother with a hammer.
In fact, it caused some to wonder if there’s another personality lying in wait when Carson said, “I wasn’t always like that. There was a time when I was, you know, very volatile. But, you know, I changed.”
To many, Carson’s claims went no further than the late-night comic monologue. However, that he seemed so determined to prove his participation in these brutal acts not only scares people but may have also cost him GOP front-runner status.
Still, there are those who maintain that it’s not unusual for a bookish, soft-spoken individual to want to break free from their his outwardly visible comportment. Moreover, they contend that it’s entirely possible that what Carson has achieved as a world-renowned neurosurgeon simply doesn’t cut it.
Still, it’s safe to assume that most people prefer the tranquil Carson to one that would attack his mother with a hammer.
Look, real or manufactured, Carson’s claims regarding his delinquent years are being treated by Trump as a red-meat campaign issue. So far, Trump has used his well-honed skill for criticizing others to dissect Carson’s claims of juvenile delinquency and to cast him as a potentially troubled individual.
Yes, Carson’s confession has caught us off guard. However, what would come as an equally shocking revelation would be for Trump to produce evidence of having done something not characteristic of a privileged bullying opportunist.
Anthony Stanford is an Aurora resident and Beacon-News columnist.
