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| Republican elephant and Democrat donkey newbostonpost.com |
It is Tuesday, which means it is time for Blogger Candidate Forum. It is not just any Tuesday, it is Super Tuesday. A dozen mostly southern States go to the polls in primaries or meet in caucuses to decide which of the candidates will receive all or most of the delegates they need to secure the parties's nomination. If you are in one of the states in the spotlight today and you have not gone to the polls, get thee to a voting booth post haste. If you have not registered to vote, check with your state's Secretary of State website for information. In the meantime, Blogger crosses the aisle and looks at the remaining Republican nominee candidates in alphabetical order. Today in the forum, Dr. Ben Carson http://www.bencarson.com.
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| Dr. Ben Carson biography.com |
Dr. Ben Carson was born in Detroit, Michigan and was on a trajectory similar to young African-American growing up in a low-income single-parent household. Fortunately, he was inspired by his mother to go beyond his meager circumstances through reading and expanding his knowledge of the world. Dr. Carson went on to attend Yale University and the University of Michigan School of Medicine. Following graduation, Dr. Carson did his residency at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, where he went on to direct pediatric neurosurgery for twenty-nine years. In 1997, Dr. Carson performed the first successful of conjoined twins linked at the back of the head in South Africa. In 2001, Dr. Carson was named by CNN and Time Magazine as one of the United State's 20 foremost physicians and scientists. Dr. Carson is married to Candy Carson, an accomplished musician and published author. (Ibid) Let us find out where the good doctor stands on some of the key issues of the day.
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| Rose gold iPhone 6s vogue.com |
Cyber Security
The ongoing court battle between Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation highlights the urgent need for cyber security. Digital technology as revolutionized the way we work, go to school, and live. Even though smartphones and tablet computers have the capacity to enhance our lives, they also have become the new battle ground for terrorist groups. According to Dr. Carson's website, "By the end of this year, Internet traffic is expected to exceed a Zettabyte, an almost incomprehensible amount of data. Internet business totaled just under 1 trillion dollars in 2014, accounting for an estimated 6 percent of our real Gross Domestic Product." (Ibid) Further, the growing "Gig Economy" has revolutionized the service sector.
As president, Dr. Carson pledges to make the American cyber sector a priority, bringing together the private, public, and government resources to secure America's internet presences. Central to this is the establishment of a National Cyber Security Administration to consolidate government initiatives and offices. The NCSA top priority will be educating Americans to protect themselves against hackers and cyber armies. It will serve as a liaison between law enforcement, private industry, and infrastructure. When cyber attacks and data breaches do occur, the NCSA will spearhead the investigation and ensure accountability. Finally, the NCSA will act as a central source for digital privacy and civil liberties. (http://www.recode.net)
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| School books listsurge.com |
Education
Education is the key to success. The American public school system is, at best, a mixed bag of results-some public schools are better than others. Part of the problem is the entrenched bureaucracy at the local, state, and federal levels. The Carson for President website cites a 2012 study conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which ranked the United States 27th out 34 countries in mathematics. The 2015 Math and Reading National Assessment of Educational Progress reveal a continuation schism in the achievement between caucasian and minority students, even after the implementation of Common Core. (Ibid)
Quick Super Tuesday update: Bernie Sanders wins Vermont, Hillary Clinton wins Georgia and Virginia, Donald Trump wins Georgia (Associated Press projections and Exit Polls)
If elected president, Dr. Carson has a five point plan to "Restore American Exceptionalism in Our Schools:" school choice; reward good teachers; empower parents, teachers, local school districts, and the States; encourage innovation, and streamline the student loan process-getting the Department of Education out of the lending business.
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| Globe plugged in eng.cs.syr.edu |
Energy
The United States has abundant natural resources. This richness of resources has been integral to the economic growth, prosperity, national security and success of this country. However, government regulations continue to weigh down this nation's economy and energy resilience. The Carson for President website suggests that it may be time to re-evaluate previous policies and create a new energy policy for the future.
The Carson campaign offers a three point plan for energy policy reform: re-evaluate energy policy based on outdated concepts; end government collusion with special interest groups; refocus environmental policies that take advantage of American natural resources. (Ibid)
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| Health care scale neurosurgeryblog.com |
Super Tuesday update: Bernie Sanders wins his home state of Vermont. Donald Trump wins Georgia (AP projection)
Health Care
Health care in the United States can be a bureaucratic nightmare. Patients and doctors buried in insurance paperwork, deep enough to make a person want to forego medical treatment. The Carson campaign accuses the Affordable Health Care Act of restricting patients's access to health care options, doctors, and specialists. The result is outrages increases in premiums, deductibles and co-pays, less access to personal physicians, and fewer health care plan options. The Carson campaign identifies the following as possible outcomes of the current health care system: fewer choices, fewer doctors, broken promises under Medicare and Medicaid.
Working the doctor metaphors, the prescription from Dr. Carson is a Health Empowerment Account for patients and save Medicare and Medicare by putting the beneficiaries in charge. The prescription: Give Medicare beneficiaries a fixed contribution, provide Medicare and Medicaid enrollees with HEA, modernize medicare, save Medicaid, treat Medicare and Medicaid patients equally with the same insurance coverage and access to doctors.
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| New citizens taking the Pledge of Allegiance shusterman.com |
Immigration
America, historically, has been a nation of immigrants from pre-Colonial times. Those who come here seek to share our ideals and seek opportunities. Immigrants have been a vital part of shaping the American culture. Quoting the late President Theodore Roosevelt, the Carson Campaign writes,
...anyone who comes to this country and wants to be a part of it must accept our laws, our Constitution and our values.
Blogger does not need to tell you the immigration system is broken. The Carson campaign calls the discourse on immigration as "racial pandering and political giveaway. Common-sense solutions are regularly traded as racist, xenophobic and mean-spritzed, while prized ideals-such as citizenship-are offered by politicians as handouts in radical attempts to alter our demographics and pave the way to future electoral victories. The Carson campaign offers the following solutions: secure the border; implement sensible admission and deportation procedures, resolve the issue of existing undocumented immigrant population, address lawful immigration, and restore the concept of the American melting pot.
Blogger encourages everyone to keep up with the Super Tuesday results and will offer a summary on the results tomorrow. As always, Blogger encourages all of you go to the candidate's website, http://www.bencarson.com, and check out the candidate's position on these issues and more.
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