Ben Carson doesn't appear to know what the Debt Limit is

[Likely Voter]

In an interview with Kai Ryssdal of NPR, Ben Carson struggled all the way through when talking about his plans for the budget and taxes but this bit about the federal debt limit stands out...

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This is getting a lot of coverage in the MSM with headlines like Politico's "Ben Carson stumbles on debt limit question" and NYMag's "Ben Carson Has Absolutely No Idea What the Debt Limit Is" WaPo "Ben Carson's very awkward interview on the economy" and Fortune's "Ben Carson's Gaffes on the Debt ceiling, Budget, and Interest Rates" but it probably wont matter to his supporters who also probably dont know what the debt limit is. Just watch the new Bloomberg focus group and you see them talking about how smart he is.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

This is why someone who has never held elected office shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House.

[Blue3]

This is why someone who has never held elected office shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House.

Sad thing is, there's plenty of people who never held elected office who DO know.

It's only the ones that don't who seem to run for President on the GOP side.

[Horsemask]

This is why someone who has never held elected office shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House.

Generally id agree, though Eisenhower is my favorite president. Big difference between him and Carson though...Eisenhower was a natural leader of men. I don't get that vibe from Carson at all.

As for the topic, poor Ben Carson. If only Jesus talked about the debt ceiling.

[Blue3]

This is why someone who has never held elected office shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House.

Generally id agree, though Eisenhower is my favorite president. Big difference between him and Carson though...Eisenhower was a natural leader of men. I don't get that vibe from Carson at all.

As for the topic, poor Ben Carson. If only Jesus talked about the debt ceiling.

Give to Caesar what is Caesar's!

[Likely Voter]

High level generals (like Grant and Eisenhower) may not have elected office experience, but they aren't outside of government. They have to deal with Federal budgets, the Executive Admin and also Congress. They know how the system works.

When you listen to that entire Carson NPR interview it is clear he doesn't understand how the government or even the economy in general works. And it wasn't a 'gotcha' interview it was with NPR's 'Marketplace' show, so of course it would be about economic and budget issues.

[The Mikado]

Besides Ike, another popular example of a president who never held elective office is Herbert Hoover...who had been Secretary of Commerce.

[Stockdale for Veep]

He's taking the opposite of the loud=smart speaking approach. Soooooo slow.

[eric82oslo]

Acually I fully agree with everything Carson said and he didn't make any gaffes at all. Of course he didn't answer the direct question, though he sort of implied that he would accept the debt limit to be raised the first year as president when and if he didn't have control over the budget (I'm not sure whether presidents do during their first year or not?), yet that he'd make sure that all consecutive budgets during his presidency would be balanced in order not having to raise the debt ceiling any more times. The reason he opted not to answer the question is of course not that he's stupid (unlike let's say Herman Cain), but rather that you can be pretty damn sure that it would be used against him by many of his tea party supporters. Why take that risk and lose voter support when you don't have to? This surely isn't a gaffe like Bush's "stuff happens" gaffe if anyone ever wondered. Carson is trying to win the GOP nomination for freak's sake. Give the guy a break, and come back to me when he makes an actual gaffe (and he made a plentiful many gaffes before stepping in to the presidential ring) as well as a couple during the debates so far.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

LOL, most of the people on this forum know the issues better than him.

[Kingpoleon]

If there is a black or female Republican running for President, the left will smear them. It's #NotAGaffe.

It's called a Dodge. Politicians do it all the time, and this shows Carson's political skills.

[eric82oslo]

If there is a black or female Republican running for President, the left will smear them. It's #NotAGaffe.

It's called a Dodge. Politicians do it all the time, and this shows Carson's political skills.

Finally someone said it. Thank you Kingpoleon.

[Ljube]

If there is a black or female Republican running for President, the left will smear them. It's #NotAGaffe.

It's called a Dodge. Politicians do it all the time, and this shows Carson's political skills.

Finally someone said it. Thank you Kingpoleon.

I would give the same answer, if I were running for President.

[Torie]

Carson has a rather steep learning curve. Who knew?

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

I'm inclined to also categorize this as more a dodge than a gaffe.

[King]

Sadly a lot of people will see these answers as "common sense."

[The Other Castro]

Is it really that damaging for a Republican to say "Yes we should raise the debt ceiling, defaulting on our debts is ing insane and to even suggest that it's on the table is dangerous to our status as a major creditor."

[Ebsy]

Anyone who says that the United State Congress should not raise the debt ceiling is a danger to themselves and others, regardless of political party.

[eric82oslo]

Anyone who says that the United State Congress should not raise the debt ceiling is a danger to themselves and others, regardless of political party.

I extremely seldom, almost never in fact, agree with the Republican Party's main "common core" positions, yet if there are two positions I really wholeheartedly agree with them on, it's that the US debt should be lowered, and that quickly (it wouldn't only be a plus positive for the US obviously, yet as well a plus positive for the world economy as a whole [and it should be realized by cutting the defense budget at least in half]), as well as Christie's position (I think he's the only one of the 22-23 still remaining main contenders currently running for the office with this proposal) to gradually increase the retirement age of the US. Every single responsible country in the world should gradually increase their retirement age, yet I only know of the UK who's currently committed itself to actually doing so. Other than these two issues, both fiscal (surprise surprise, I love mathematics and statistics, maybe that's why, and I'm a capricorn, so I know well how to handle money responsibly lol), I disagree with the GOP dogmatics on almost every single possible issue out there.

[eric82oslo]

Anyone who says that the United State Congress should not raise the debt ceiling is a danger to themselves and others, regardless of political party.

I extremely seldom, almost never in fact, agree with the Republican Party's main "common core" positions, yet if there are two positions I really wholeheartedly agree with them on, it's that the US debt should be lowered, and that quickly (it wouldn't only be a plus positive for the US obviously, yet as well a plus positive for the world economy as a whole [and it should be realized by cutting the defense budget at least in half]), as well as Christie's position (I think he's the only one of the 22-23 still remaining main contenders currently running for the office with this proposal) to gradually increase the retirement age of the US. Every single responsible country in the world should gradually increase their retirement age, yet I only know of the UK who's currently committed itself to actually doing so. Other than these two issues, both fiscal (surprise surprise, I love mathematics and statistics, maybe that's why, and I'm a capricorn, so I know well how to handle money responsibly lol), I disagree with the GOP dogmatics on almost every single possible issue out there.

Well, you seem to have some love for Jeb Bush, regardless.

I do, maybe because he speaks Spanish almost as great as me and has a Mexican wife.

I also love Bill Gates' Common Core reform, (Warren Buffet's tax reform) and the initial immigration reform stances of Bush, Rubio as well as Lindsey Graham who is the only one who's still not a coward to admit that he wants a full-throated immigration reform that would include everyone with no exceptions.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

This is why someone who has never held elected office shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the White House.

There are plenty of Republicans in Congress who don't understand this distinction either.  (Or at the very least, cynically rely on the inability of their voter base to understand this distinction.)

[Fuzzy Bear]

If there is a black or female Republican running for President, the left will smear them. It's #NotAGaffe.

It's called a Dodge. Politicians do it all the time, and this shows Carson's political skills.

Finally someone said it. Thank you Kingpoleon.

He's certainly the King of Dodge.

Carson's doing something right to be 2nd in the polls.