The Supreme Court recently debated whether or not American corporations should be required to provide contraceptive coverage as part of their health plans, even when it goes against the business owner’s religious beliefs. The so-called contraceptive mandate is among many of the controversial aspects of President Obama’s health care law – a law that has divided our nation more deeply than ever.
Sadly, division has been a hallmark of this administration. More than anything, we need to put a leader in the White House in 2016 who will replace Obamacare with a health care program that insures all Americans while returning to individual freedoms and healing the bitter divides that threaten our nation.
A growing number of Americans are looking beyond the political establishment’s careerists for a leader who can put us on a path to real healing. In poll after poll, renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, patriot and author Dr. Ben Carson is emerging as a clear favorite and a frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2016. He made an impressively strong showing at the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll this year, coming in third behind Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.). He also took third place in a poll at the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference.
Dr. Carson is a great statesman with a deep love for his country and Constitution. He’s also a political outsider, which means he doesn’t cater to party leadership or special interests that often corrupt our political system. He is a man of strong character who will stick to his principles. And he is the only potential candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race. He is well liked and respected in the African-American community, which usually aligns itself with the Democratic Party. Just consider the math: with just 17 percent of the black vote, Dr. Carson would beat any Democratic nominee.
Most of all, Dr. Carson is uniquely qualified to overturn Obamacare and enact true health care reform, one of the three most pressing issues facing our nation. He worked for 36 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he became the youngest director of pediatric neurosurgery in its history. In 1987 he earned wide renown after successfully developing and performing an operation to separate conjoined twins who were born connected at the back of the head. He has developed a number of other celebrated surgical innovations as well. His incredible talent and years working in health care give him the necessary experience and institutional knowledge to enact real health care reform.
Dr. Carson has spoken out strongly against Obamacare. Last year he spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, boldly tackling divisiveness and proposing a real solution to the health care crisis. His moral courage in speaking out against Obamacare with the president sitting right beside him raised the doctor to national prominence.
Dr. Carson suggests that instead of mandating that people buy health insurance they may or may not need, on the day they’re born give every person an electronic medical record and a health savings account that can be used to take care of day-to-day medical needs and provide coverage for catastrophic care. If we want to reform our health care system, we have to give individuals control over their own care and empower them with the knowledge to prevent future illness. Obamcare, Dr. Carson has said, is not about healthcare; it’s about control.
Currently, Dr. Carson is chairman of the American Legacy PAC’s Save Our Healthcare Project. The movement is working to gather grassroots support to urge Congress to end Obamacare once and for all. This week, Dr. Carson will meet with the health care caucus in the House of Representatives to discuss the PAC’s efforts. He is currently working on a series of principles that will guide the creation of a replacement plan for Obamacare. Dr. Carson says it best: We can do better than Obamacare. This would be even truer under his capable leadership, if he will agree to run for the Republican nomination in 2016.
Dr. Carson has said he would run if the American people want him to. Increasingly it appears that they do. More than 200,000 people have signed petitions asking him to run, and a PAC I helped form raised over $2.8 million from about 47,000 donors in just its first six months. Another 7,100 volunteers have helped to spread the word across the U.S.
Dr. Carson is highly qualified to lead our nation as its president. He’s a principled conservative, a great communicator and a proven leader who keeps a cool head in times of crisis. He shares the values of the American people and is not interested in advancing the agenda of a political party or special interest groups. America needs a leader who can solve the biggest problems facing our nation. We need a unifier who can do the difficult work of healing the divisions that are tearing apart the fabric of our country. Dr. Ben Carson could be that leader, if we can convince him to run. Let’s continue to work together to encourage him to do so.
John Philip Sousa, IV is the National Chairman of the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee. Follow the committee on Twitter @draftrunbenrun.