Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders condemned Dr. Ben Carson’s comment that a Muslim should not be President Of The United States. Sanders called Carson’s comment disappointing prejudice.
Here is the exchange between Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, and NBC’s Chuck Todd on Meet The Press:
CHUCK TODD: So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the constitution?
DR. BEN CARSON: No, I don’t, I do not.
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CHUCK TODD: So you–
DR. BEN CARSON: I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.
In a statement, Sen. Sanders condemned Carson’s remarks, “I am very disappointed that Dr. Carson would suggest that a Muslim should not become president of the United States. It took us too long to overcome the prejudice against electing a Catholic or an African-American president. People should be elected to office based on their ideas, not their religion or the color of their skin.”
Dr. Carson displayed a level of prejudice that would be shocking to anyone who hasn’t followed what Republicans have been saying for years. Discrimination against U.S. Muslims has been an accepted position within the Republican Party for a very long time.
Republicans pushed the idea that President Obama is not a Christian because in their view being a Muslim implies that one is a terrorist.
While his statements may have surprised those in the corporate political press, the views expressed by Dr. Carson aren’t out of the mainstream of the Republican Party. Sen. Sanders was right. The level of prejudice expressed by Carson was disappointing, but it is par for the course among some Republicans.
Donald Trump refused to say that President Obama was born in America and is not a Muslim today, and Ben Carson suggested that a Muslim should never be elected president. It is time for the media to stop making excuses for Republican racism and prejudice, because as Sen. Sanders said, people should be elected based on their ideas and nothing else.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
