Carson Plays it Safe in Keene

KEENE, NH - Over two hundred and fifty voters filed into the Keene State College student center on Sunday afternoon to listen to Dr. Ben Carson's prescription for America. 

Photo by Timothy Knight

Rambling through a checklist of conservative bullet points, Carson's speech at times mimicked a talk show monologue more than a plea for support. He opened his remarks by calling the United States, "the most exceptional country in the world," and rarely deviated from generalizations or platitudes. 

One of only two Republican candidates in the race with Secret Service protection, there was a limit to the connection the neurosurgeon could make with the average voter, as a five foot barrier stood between the stage and the crowd, with a swarm of agents standing on guard in between. 

Chastising politics as "a lot of people who think success is about how loud you can talk," the soft spoken Carson sought to differentiate himself by stating, "my whole life has been about finding solutions." 

Photo by Timothy Knight

Although the candidate could recount his dreams, successes, and struggles as a child journeying from a poor family into becoming a famous physician, he relied heavily on making broad statements that elicited polite applause instead of making bold policy pronouncements. 

Hovering at 10% support in national polls, Dr. Carson has fallen to seventh place in New Hampshire despite being in second only a few weeks ago. At risk of becoming another flavor of the week candidate to falter, Carson largely played it safe on Sunday afternoon rather than rock the boat.