Is Ben Carson doing some sort of Andy Kaufman bit?

[underpants]

I ask this as a Kaufman fan.

He just stands there .... and stands there...and eventually blurts out nonsense. The crowd loves it.

The initial "weakness" question - he leads with "I don't know why I'm here". My wife, who has done tons of interviews, actually burst out laughing at that. followed by "Reagan".

"Tithing"
Even though he doesn't seem to think there's much of a difference between 10% and 15% he did get his math right on that one.

"Pure propaganda"
"See.....they know"

There are looooong lapses of time between his deadpan emotionless responses that fall completely flat. Every other candidate and moderator had some sort of back and forth but Carson stops speaking and everything just moves on...without him.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

1. Sometimes I think Trump is channeling Tony Clifton.

[underpants]

3. LOL

[MuseRider]

4. PERFECT! n/t

[MuseRider]

2. His pauses are longer than Bush**

I wonder if old Ben is using a wire? Nahhhh, there would have to be someone feeding him intelligent responses right? Bush may have mashed up what was fed to him but at least it did not take him that long to reply, or maybe I was just distracted by the coke jaw and head cocking.

He is odd, a very strange guy and scary as hell.

I could not watch last night but I watched the last one and I came away horrified. Where are the solid politicians in their party? Are there any left? This notion of someone with no governing experience is crazy. I understand the notion but I do not understand taking it seriously. It is way too big of a job for just some person who wants the job.

*I suppose I should include that there are some solid politicians in their party running but DAMN!*

[cwydro]

6. I find him scary too.

I remember when Reagan seemed to be losing the plot, and I mentioned to someone that I thought he might be in early Alzheimers.

Kind of wondering if that might explain Carson's odd affect and speech patterns.

[MuseRider]

10. I don't know if he has always been like this or not.

Slow and steady, non inflammatory would have been good for a neuro surgeon. It is like he just taught himself to be slow and deliberative maybe coming off what he says his teen years were like? Still he is crazy as can be. Very odd affect.

I did not think I could have ever been happier to see a president go after Nixon but watching Reagan go was a relief and wonderful but then there was Bush**, for that I stood up and cheered and cried a little. YAY! Reagan was always off somehow but those later years were painful.

[cwydro]

15. Yeah, I shudder to think that Nancy was probably our first female president.

[redwitch]

26. First female president was likely Edith Wilson.

[underpants]

8. Kasich went off on that pre-debate and at the debate

"We might elect someone* who can't don't he job"

*big leap there Jon

He pointed out flat taxes, just cutting waste and abuse, and "picking up 10 million people and moving them 'somewhere'".

[MuseRider]

12. While there are all scary in some way

Kasich scares me the most because he can at times sound reasonable and kind enough for that party to elect. I know my brother loves him and my brother knows absolutely nothing about politics really, does not even have a computer or a TV or actually a home at the moment or car (jesus that is some story) but he knows about Kasich and thinks he would be great. Someone out there is quietly talking him up I think.

I don't think there are any of them we need to fear Democrats getting interested in but if the Dems stay home any of these oddballs could get in.

*BTW where is he thinking of moving them? Spain? Argentina? Honduras? *****? <--I thought better about saying that last one. WTH is he talking about? I wish I had been home to see it. Maybe I can pick up a video later when I get home. I want to hear that.

[Whiskeytide]

17. I am beginning to think...

... Kasich is the Koch's stealth candidate - laying back waiting for it to get crazy enough that he can sound reasonable yelling about how crazy it has become. The last few Prez primary seasons have taught them to avoid being the early leader, "flash in the pan" guy. They're smart. He's sitting back waiting on the others to eat each other and flame out. I think Trump's wild card bid and sustained popularity has thrown them a little bit of a curve ball, but I still think that's the plan.

I have been convinced that such a strategy has been in the works - just waiting to see which candidate is the viper in the grass. I'm starting to think it's Kasich.

They will try to pair him with Rubio as the veep. Conventional wisdom says that helps them in both Ohio and Fla., and that could make it a race.

I guess we'll see.

[Hortensis]

23. Oh, I sure hope not. Kasich was in on the formation of ALEC.

Stealth may be the word. He's no longer with ALEC -- now that it's been outed and seen as disreputable. The Kochs publicly "snubbed" him in the summer, but he's still doing their work in Ohio.

Then ultra-ambitious Rubio... When I looked for his quotes I found that in over 15 years in public office he's always been for mom and apple pie. His statements over all these years have been obviously extremely deliberately crafted to give no clue as to who and what he really is. To discover that one would have to look at his legislative record and associations, and how many do that? Given his extremely changeable and opportune record and his commitment to rising in power, with concomitant willingness to sabotage his constituents, I suspect he may be yet another sociopath.

[Whiskeytide]

28. Oh - I had forgotten about Kasich's association...

... with ALEC. Shit. And he's clearly in Wall Street's camp. Bad man.

That's an interesting observation on Rubio's malleable history and long simmering ambition. I just posted in another thread that he's so vanilla it's hard to get a bead on his warts. But it makes sense if he's the "groomed" candidate.

[Mendocino]

19. I live in Ohio

He is scary, but like you pointed out, sort of flies under the radar. We do not want him anywhere near the Whitehouse. I think it's interesting that most sane and reasonable GOP candidate from 2012 isn't even a blip in this campaign, Jon Huntsman. My personal thought is that he wants nothing to do with what the right expects in a candidate. he has integrity, they don't want that. They prefer blustery mudslingers or corporate drones.

[Hortensis]

24. Huntsman and literally hundreds of honest, competent *moderate conservative leaders.

They're out there, but none stepping forward for some time now. A real indicator of just how bad it is.

*After all these years of observation, I've decided that strong conservatism is incompatible with competent economic and social leadership of a nation.

[DetlefK]

5. There are two kinds of crazy:

The one where you know you are crazy and you actively tap into that to create new ideas. You are active. That's what Kaufman did.

The one where you don't know you are crazy and you merely act in a manner that seems normal to you but is in fact un-normal to others. You are passive. That's what Ben Carson does.

[underpants]

9. Well said

[msrizzo]

7. Oh how I wish....

But I don't think so.

[HassleCat]

11. "Hey, Andy, are you goofin on Elvis?" (eom)

[ryan_cats]

13. Here I come to Save the Day! n/t

[Beaverhausen]

14. I think he is heavily medicated

He can barely keep his eyes open.

[trusty elf]

18. ......

[img][/img]

[luvspeas]

33. Hey! Mr. Bean is not exactly stoned...but beautiful...n/t

[Bucky]

16. I was thinking more Chauncy Gardner, but yes... he's clearly a fictional character

[ChisolmTrailDem]

20. His biggest applause lines (that I saw, as I was distracted) followed absulute non-sense...

...from him.

And then I see these clips on MSNBC from people just fawning over him. One evangelical nut case lady said "America is sick. America needs a doctor." Does this lady actually believe Carson can crack open America's cranium and do his thing??

[2naSalit]

21. I think that they are all

just following the script for $$. The way the kokehead Ka$h Kar is doling out money to those who will do anything for money, they must have a large Kast of Karachters to embellish the narrative of insanity.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

22. LOL, I just made a post with "Klown Kar Katerwauling"; the K-K-K wordplay is rampant on DU today. nt

[2naSalit]

31. LOL!

just goes to show how obviously they appear to wrap themselves in the stars and bars mentality. After a point it's so transparent that they can no longer hide or deny it. And most of us have no trouble seeing and commenting about it in our own way.

[Vinca]

25. I thought he was doing Jesus, but Andy Kaufman works for me. LOL.

[KamaAina]

27. 'Murka was troubled by the horrible ass... yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now Andy, did you hear about this one?

[underpants]

30. :-)

[luvspeas]

32. I have an aquaintance...

I like her generally and wouldn't exactly call her a friend. We see each other once a year at an annual art retreat and this year she had a few drinks and we got to talking a bit. Holy crap if she wasn't a completely brainwashed conservative who told me she had just come from a planned parenthood protest and those poor little baby parts and etc etc etc. She then starts talking about how much she hates Obama and she starts seething. Her face gets all red and she's just angry. I asked why she's so mad all of the sudden. Mind you, I'm just listening and sort of bobbing my head up and down like I'm trying to jump in to a double dutch rope. She doesn't really know my politics although it's not too difficult to infer. Anyway, then out of nowhere she says, y'know who I wish could be president is Ben Carson, he's so smart. Then she went on to tell me how she hasn't had sex with her god old boy husband in years...ah the joys of alcohol. She's a really nice person when she doesn't talk about politics (and probably race).

So I get the little right to life angle that people who only see helping fetuses and goddamn everyone else. But I really think the reason Carson came to mind for her was because of the Obama tirade. To put it another way, y'know which BLACK guy I would like to see as president...one that is as stupid as I am.

[underpants]

35. Thanks for the post

I have some old timers at work that are likewise brainwashed. I actually laugh at some of stuff they bring up at lunch.

[luvspeas]

36. I used to try to argue facts...

Now I find it much more amusing to act completely unaware and ask for clarification. It makes their little heads spin. Or the Faux News talking points come rolling out like a red fucking carpet. Either way with a few drinks it's awesome. Also when you say nothing these morans also assume you are in agreement. Then the real shit starts to fly.

[olddots]

34. the repukian candidate

is always picked on attention getting talent .If Carson starts singing Mighty Mouse theme he is the their hero