What to make of this week’s Monmouth University poll showing Donald Trump tied with Ben Carsonat 23 percent in a sampling of likely Iowa caucus goers? Here’s one theory, once you get beyond questioning the validity of any poll in the silly season of summer politicking.
Where would serious, concerned anti-establishment Republicans go, if not to the anger-frustration-and-political-correctness channeling Trump? Well, why not somebody, a retired neurosurgeon, who is even more of a consummate non-politician–but not somebody who has given establishment candidates money and endorsements? And not somebody who has been, in effect, part of the same celebrity milieu?
Dr. Carson is smart enough to overcome frame-of-reference deficits and too measured to appeal to the pro-wrestling crowd. And, for what it’s worth, he also comes across as a nice guy with meaningful, real-world accomplishment in a field of preening wannabes. Imagine, somebody as smart as a neurosurgeon actually wants to be president. Perhaps it’s Iowans’ way of saying, “Thanks for running.”
But it’s still summer.