Is Ben Carson the Most Radical Nomination?

As promised, Mr. Donald Trump, who last week caused uproar overseas and at home when he participated in a phone call with Taiwan’s President – China’s foreign ministry has since filed a complaint with the U.S. over the act which broke diplomatic protocol – is being unpredictable. And in continuance with that tradition, Mr. Trump on Monday nominated Dr. Ben Carson, a former Republican presidential candidate who not long ago felt he would cripple the presidency because he lacks the experience needed to run a federal agency, as the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a government entity whose budget nears or surpasses $30 billion.

Until now, it appeared the most radical nomination by Mr. Trump was Alabama Senator Mr. Jeff Sessions, who failed decades ago to be confirmed by the Senate due to controversies of a racial nature, for Attorney General. But the selection by Mr. Trump of Dr. Carson – a brilliant neurosurgeon with no documented history of experience in housing or urban renewal – to lead HUD, can also be viewed as radical, but in a context that’s more about competence rather than character.

For sure, Dr. Carson’s admission that he isn’t suited for federal governance, and his overall lack of experience, will be dissected by Democrats who’ve pledged to mirror Republican’s obstruction of Mr. Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama Supreme Court nomination.

“… What comes around goes around,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the incoming Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member.

Democratic Senator Mr. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said:

“I’m not going to vote for radical nominees, and I’m not going to vote for totally unprepared nominees. But if a nominee is more to the mainstream of the Republican Party and has experience in the field they’re undertaking to oversee, there will be Democratic votes.”

Dr. Carson, of course, doesn’t have the experience for the field he’s hoping to oversee, and it remains to be seen whether his stern critiques of housing desegregation will regulate him to the fringe or the mainstream of the Republican Party – the political Left is already speculating whether Dr. Carson will rollback a rule requiring local communities to assess and address their own patterns of racial and income segregation.

Indeed, Democrats on Monday wasted no time in characterizing Dr. Carson as a radical choice. Representative Ted Lieu of California, who called on the doctor to withdraw from nomination, said the selection would actually be funny if it weren’t so tragic. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York tweeted: “Ben Carson is not qualified to be HUD Secretary. Period. Full Stop.” And House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi called the nomination a “disconcerting and disturbingly unqualified choice.”

The political Right, however, praised the nomination. Former Speaker of the House Mr. Newt Gingrich tweeted: “Dr. Ben Carson is a brilliant man with a great work ethic and a deep desire to help his fellow Americans; an outstanding choice for Trump.”

Former Arkansas Governor Mr. Mike Huckabee tweeted: “Ben Carson is the first HUD Sec to have actually lived in gov’t housing. Fancy Nancy Pelosi says he’s not qualified; is she racist or just dumb?”

The level of polarized debate ensuing after Dr. Carson’s nomination appears equal to, if not greater than, that which followed the selection of Senator Sessions, despite the doctor being such a soft-spoken national treasure who has inspired many. With the nomination of Dr. Carson, Mr. Trump has once again outdone himself; and for some, that means the only certainty with the forthcoming administration is absurdity, absolutely.