CSotD: Six impossible things before November
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So Ben Carson is self-destructing.
Or he's not.
Andy Marlette offers an appealing take on the West Point issue, because, of course, Parson Weems' "chopping down the cherry tree" story is the kind of bogus legend our nation was built on.
History is full of appealing stories that didn't happen and quotes that were never said, and what better time to celebrate that than between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving, a pair of holidays built on what we like to imagine happened rather than what actually did.
Carson's supporters are circling the wagons — to use a metaphor based on historic mythology – to defend the West Point matter, and I'm disinclined to call Carson a liar for his claims there.
That is, I'm not sure he intended to say he was actually awarded an appointment rather than promised that it would be a slam-dunk.
And, given his reported stature in his ROTC unit and the grades that got him into Yale, plus the lack of evidence that he ever tried to stab anybody, he might well have gotten the appointment.
As for his calling it a "scholarship," that is sloppy phraseology, but in the context of talking about how he could afford college, it's not a "lie."
Looks like what he meant was that, if he had pursued this all-but-certain appointment, he wouldn't have had to worry about paying for college.
At the time he wrote this autobiography, he wasn't running for President, and there is a difference between "trying to become famous" and "trying to become President."
A college buddy had become a fairly prominent local politician when a Senate seat opened in his state, and I jokingly asked if he was looking at it. When he responded that he was, I reminded him that, when you get to a certain level, the press begins digging considerably deeper.
His response was "You think so?" but he never ran for the seat.
Wise choice. Any reporter with an alumni register and half an hour would have blown his candidacy to smithereens.
And while Carson is being held accountable for things he said before he was a candidate, he did say them.
Ask John Kerry or Al Gore for a crying towel: It wasn't the "liberal media" that hung them out with purposeful distortions and outright lies.
History is full of quotes that people didn't say, but Carson needs to take responsibility for the things he did and, particularly, for the things he still does.
Because here's the more immediate point: The expression "full of shit" does not simply pertain to lying.
It can also include saying stupid, counterfactual things that you actually believe.
And, while his supporters can defend the West Point claim, it's harder to deny that the man — though not a deliberate liar — is full of shit on any number of topics.
Case in point and Juxtaposition of the Day
The "Pyramids as Granaries" thing is so ludicrous that it almost doesn't matter how much he believes it, although — while it's something he said before he had political aspirations — he has confirmed that he still believes this nonsense.
When it first emerged, I thought he was a devotee of Afrocentric history, which is a third-rail: You can touch off an explosion simply by pointing out that the Ptolemies were placed on the throne of Egypt by Alexander and that, whether Nefertiti was black or Semitic, Cleopatra was clearly an ethnic Greek.
It turns out that his belief, however, is religion, not race, based, and, as this writer suggests, actually downplays the capabilities of African people in favor of God's Chosen, in this case, Joseph.
Denying ancient people the capability of building monumental structures is not new, though, and not confined to Egypt — plenty of people over the years have denied that Native Americans could have built the massive earthwork mounds across the U.S. and that the Maya could have built their pyramids without help from aliens, Europeans, or a higher religious power.
Carson's actual motivation for believing nonsense may be a distinction without a difference: It's still a level of loyalty that apparently clouds his judgment.
The problem with Carson's candidacy is that he would seem more credible if he were a liar, because he appears to be a fool.
It's possible to be both, of course, but it's important to know these things about anyone who may be in possession of nuclear launch codes, never mind overseeing the economy.
There was a time when we wouldn't be having this conversation.
But, while Carson — or Trump or Fiorina — would never have been mentioned in the first place, back in the days of the smoke-filled room, the emergence of primaries has made the wishes of the booboisie the command of the parties.
Just be grateful Honey Boo Boo isn't the requisite 35 years old.
Whatever the GOP old guard may be thinking, Carson has stepped forward to defend himself. And in a world where the best defense is a good offense, attacking the media is an acceptable substitute for actually justifying the ridiculous things you've said.
Here's the critical thing: Let's not forget that, when Gennifer Flowers emerged before the 1992 elections, it turned out that the fact that Bill Clinton enjoyed sex did not damage him with an electorate that also enjoyed sex.
We'll have to see to what extent being full of shit damages Carson's chances with the current electorate.
"I can't believe that!" said Alice.
"Can't you?" the Queen said in a pitying tone. "Try again:
draw a long breath, and shut your eyes."
Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said:
"one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen.
"When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day.
Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things
before breakfast."
Mike Peterson has posted his "Comic Strip of the Day" column every day since 2010. His opinions are his own, but we welcome comments either agreeing or in opposition.
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