Romney Would Have Won If Ben Carson Was Running Mate, Says Black Church Group
If Mitt Romney had renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson as his running mate in the 2012 presidential elections, he would have been president today, says National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) President Anthony Evans.
The NBCI is a coalition of 34,000 African-American and Latino churches across America working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment and represents almost 16 million members, according to Evans and the organization's website.
"Let's put it this way. If Mitt Romney had selected Dr. Carson as his running mate in 2012, he would have been President of the United States today," said Evans in an interview with The Christian Post on Tuesday.
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"You don't need 100 percent of the black vote to win. If 15 percent of the black vote had gone to Romney (in 2012) he would have won, especially in Ohio," added Evans, who described himself as an independent voter.
Evans cited the conflicted relationship many black church leaders had with President Barack Obama during his run for re-election, saying that although Obama says he is a member of a church, many of the policies pursued by his administration are in direct opposition to Christian values. "There is no question that blacks voted reluctantly for Obama," said Evans.
And that sentiment hasn't changed much since the elections. Evans explained that President Obama has not demonstrated a strategic and cohesive plan on how to work with minorities to build wealth and sustainable progress. He had high praises for Carson and said he shared his "pulling yourself up by the bootstrap" approach to life.
He noted that he would welcome a presidential run by Carson. "It certainly gives us a clear option as Christians to vote for someone who shares our values…Not only is he more authentic (than Obama), but he has a clear, a powerful voice on the African American experience," he added.
He explained that in the coming months, the NBCI will be working on the creation of an online party where they will communicate with members about critical issues regarding government.
"What has happened as a result of the last election, ministers are frustrated that they no longer have the voice that they once had, especially in the Democratic Party. So we'll be starting an online party and we'll be sending out e-mails to our members. As a result, we will negotiate with Republicans and Democrats and whoever gives us the better deal will get our vote. No longer will they take the black vote for granted," said Evans.
In the meantime, Carson's politically incorrect speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 7, where he criticized government policies in areas such as education, debt management and taxation, continues to gain traction and responses.
"Dr. Carson's bipartisan belief in the American people, reverence for its history and his refusal to be intimidated by notions of political correctness are refreshing," said Republican New York City Councilman Dan Halloran to CP.
"In one of his analogies, he correctly pointed out that a bird needs both a left wing and a right wing to fly. There should be a balance of power between the parties, including here in New York. His warnings about education, wild spending and taxes that punish success should be heeded by both parties. If anyone is offended by those ideas, maybe they should ask themselves why."
