Dr. Ben Carson, the only Black republican candidate for president, has announced that he is suspending his campaign. Carson has only been able to pick up eight delegates in the primary elections and caucuses that have been held so far. The retired neurosurgeon has realized that he has no path to the Republican nomination. He released the following statement:
“I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit. Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue. Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to Saving America for Future Generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation. I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people. I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.”
Carson will remain influential in the continuing race for the Republican presidential nomination. His campaign had a strong religious and moral position that played to the passions of the elusive evangelical vote. In addition, his inspirational life story of being a troubled youth that became a brilliant surgeon appeals to many voters. Over the past several months, Carson’s campaign and statements had become somewhat erratic. He had to deal with his comments about Muslims as well as a controversy regarding his business manger and aide Armstrong Williams. To add, his campaign stops for many were just promotional tours to sell his book A More Perfect Union: What We the People Can Do to Reclaim Our Constitutional Liberties. He suspended his campaign at one point in October 2015 to promote his book, but still was able to collect political donations. Events to meet Carson were then used as book signings.
Ben Carson has raised an estimated $71 million in donations since his campaign started. Because Carson has not ended his campaign, he is still allowed to receive donations. When he ends his campaign, he must pay off any campaign debt with the funds and has several options open for the leftover funds. The candidate is able to donate the money to charity, give it to another candidate as a political donation or give it to the national political party. In the case of Carson, he could actually form a Super PAC (Political Action Committee) with his funds and remain a significant political player. In addition, Carson may be able to donate to his own charity, The Carson Scholar Fund, which gives scholarships to deserving college students of $1K each.
In his campaign for the presidency, Carson has displayed a shrewd knowledge of political rules and business maneuvers.
