The Beginning of Ben Carson’s End

Politics is jujitsu. Use a candidate’s biggest strength as his weakness. Everybody loves Ben Carson. He’s a nice guy. He’s likable. He is trustworthy. That is exactly where all the attacks on Carson are going to go and the media just drew serious blood.

Ben Carson’s campaign on Friday admitted that a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

The academy has occupied a central place in Carson’s tale for years. According to a story told in Carson’s book, “Gifted Hands,” the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen. William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of U.S. forces in Vietnam, and the two dined together. That meeting, according to Carson’s telling, was followed by a “full scholarship” to the military academy.

West Point, however, has no record of Carson applying, much less being extended admission.

Carson’s life story has been a central point of his appeal and the West Point story has been part of that appeal. If the other campaigns and the media can go after Carson on trust, his campaign is finished. His support levels are very high, but his support is also very, very soft. People are supporting Carson because they are not enamored with the rest of the field, but they are not wedded to him.

As CNN goes after the knifing story and now the Carson campaign is admitting this fabrication, we’re about to see a novice politician with a less than highly skilled campaign begin to head into a storm the candidate himself created.

The post The Beginning of Ben Carson’s End appeared first on RedState.