NC man leads effort to draft Ben Carson to run for president in 2016

A North Carolina man is directing an effort to draft Dr. Ben Carson for president in 2016, an effort that already has raised more than $4 million and gathered 200,000 signatures.

Carson, who spoke Friday night in High Point, is a retired neurosurgeon who catapulted to public attention last year when he spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast.

Standing 10 feet from President Barack Obama, he criticized the Affordable Care Act and political correctness in a speech hailed by conservative talk show hosts and watched by more than 3 million on YouTube.

Vernon Robinson wants Carson to run for president. A former city councilman and congressional candidate from Winston-Salem, Robinson is convinced Carson, whom he calls “a legend in the black community,” not only could unite Republicans but win a general election.

“In order to beat Hillary Clinton, you have to broaden the base of the GOP and stay true to Republican principles at the same time,” says Robinson, the draft committee’s political director.

“Dr. Carson can get 17 percent of the black vote, making it mathematically impossible for Hillary Clinton or any other Democrat to win the general election.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2014 at 8:21 AM.