Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson announced Wednesday that he does not see a “political path forward”. As a result, the retired neurosurgeon and writer, will not attend Thursday’s GOP presidential debate in Detroit, according to a statement sent to supporters.
That being said, Mr. Carson has not officially affirmed that he will suspend his campaign. On Friday, he will make a discourse about his political future at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, according to reporters from The Washington Post.
“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,” he said in a Wednesday statement.
He also said to “patriots” who supported him as a candidate, that he still remains committed to “save America” for future generations. On the other hand, campaign chairman Bob Dees wrote in an email with “tears in his eyes” that the political efforts must come to a close.
Carson’s decision comes after months of changes in his political strategies. It is recognized that he started a powerful campaign, which made him the first Grand Old Party contender to overcome Donald Trump in the October 2015 polls. However, he was later surpassed by Senator Ted Cruz and the same Trump.
Republican operatives have already suggested Carson to run for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida. At the same time, the retired neurosurgeon said that the remaining candidates should meet before the debate that will take place in Detroit, his hometown, in order to solve their differences, said CNN.
A candidate with no political arguments
According to analysts, Carson never provided strong political arguments for his presidential campaign. In contrast, he based his arguments on his biography. In the 1980s, Mr. Carson became famous for separating conjoined twins, which was a complex procedure by that time. Years before, he had passed through a difficult youth, but later turned into a great medicine student.
In 2008, Carson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from the hands of the former president George W. Bush, who congratulated him for being one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons, coming from a Detroit full of “poverty, crime and violence”. The Medal of Freedom is the highest civil award of the U.S.
Personal references were not enough to beat Trump
However, references to his personal story were not enough to catch voters on the road to presidential elections. Since voting began, Carson obtained non-significant results that continued to decline. In the Iowa caucuses, he finished fourth at 9.3 percent. Later, he finished eighth at the New Hampshire primaries with 2.3 percent of the vote, and he slightly obtained better results in South Carolina, where he finished sixth, with less than 8 percent of the vote, said CNN.
“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,” he added in a statement.
Thursday’s Fox News GOP debate will be attended by presidential candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, and will be moderated by Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace.
Source: The Washington Post