Many conservatives are calling for Dr. Ben Carson to run for president
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD (KTRK) -- Dr. Ben Carson is the typical politician. In fact, he's not really a politician at all. He's a retired neurosurgeon and author who, at 63 years old, has people begging him to run for President.
He was the first speaker at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. He called for a fair tax system that would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and talked about the need for school choice.
He said, plainly, that public schools are the worst of the educational options for parents. He ranked home schooling, private schools and
charter schools ahead of the publicly financed elementary and secondary schools.
He also called for a "stronger military", suggesting the United States should attack "radical Islamic Terrorists" such as ISIS instead of "waiting around to see what they'll do."
After his twenty minutes on the stage, he spoke with Eyewitness News Anchor Tom Abrahams about what makes his message so appealing to those drafting him into the 2016 GOP fray.
"I think what I represent is the people themselves," he said, walking through a crowded hallway, supporters chanting his name. "Not traditional politics, because everybody sees that whether we're talking democrats or republicans, if we're talking traditional politics, we'll continue to go down the same pathway and it's not leading us to where we want to be."
Carson is the subject of a "Run Ben Run" coalition of people around the country, including a contingent in Houston, who are hoping Carson decides to run for the nation's highest office. He says they're drawn to his frank discussion of the issues.
"I don't believe in political correctness," he said. "I don't believe in political expediency. I believe in right and wrong. and teaching the truth and talking about it. and not being afraid of the political consequences."
Carson said he'll make a decision about whether or not to run by the first week of May.
