Dr. Ben Carson is an up-and-comer among political conservatives.
He’s a brilliant neurosurgeon … but he needs an education on political decorum.
Dr. Carson spoke recently at the National Prayer Breakfast and used the occasion to criticize President Obama’s policies while the president was sitting nearby.
Carson responded to critics of his speech this way: “I don’t believe that expressing your opinion, regardless of who’s there, is being rude.” Actually, doc, it is rude. But it’s not really about the company you keep when you say these things. It’s the location and the setting that deserves attention.
The National Prayer Breakfast is meant to bring people of all faiths together for a time of prayer and ecumenical fellowship. It’s not a place for political posturing. Many other venues exist for such speechmaking. How about, say, a national political convention, a political action conference (such as CPAC), or a street-corner rally?
The doctor is said to be considering a run for office. He will give up his medical practice, reports indicate, and devote his time to public-policy-improvement pursuits. More power to him. I wish him well in that endeavor.
But let’s lay off the politics at the National Prayer Breakfast. As the saying goes: It ain’t the time or the place …