Failed presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson is unapologetic for linking presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to Lucifer.
(Left) Dr. Ben Carson, former Republican Presidential Candidate, speaks during the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Tuesday, July 19, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill); and (right) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the African Methodist Episcopal church national convention in Philadelphia, Friday, July 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
In his remarks to Republican National Convention delegates on July 19, Carson said one of Clinton’s “heroes” and “mentors” was Chicago-based community organizer Saul Alinsky, who was the subject of Clinton’s 1969 senior thesis at Wellesley College.
“This was someone that she greatly admired, and that affected all her philosophies subsequently,” Carson said.
“Let me tell you about Saul Alinsky,” Carson continued. “He wrote a book called ‘Rules for Radicals’ on the dedication page, it acknowledges Lucifer, the original radical who gained his own kingdom.
“Are we willing to elect someone as president, who has as their role model somebody who acknowledges Lucifer?” Carson asked, receiving a resounding “No” from the audience.
Carson said America “will go down the tubes” and “may never recover” should Clinton be elected to the White House, adding that he was “proud” to endorse Donald Trump for president.
During an appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” Carson said he made the connection between Alinsky and Clinton to offer insight onto what kind of president the former first lady would be, and that the relationship between the two was troubling.
“We all have people who are our mentors. We all have people that we admired as a college student. At Wellesley, she was on a first name basis with Saul Alinsky. He offered her a job after she finished, but she decided to go to law school. They were very close,” he said. He further said of Alinsky’s radical philosophies, “She believed that at that time. And now you look at her actions. You look at what she advocates … those are pretty consistent, quite frankly.”
In its analysis of Carson’s statements, Politifact said Alinsky did include an epigraph on Lucifer, attributed to Alinsky, himself, at the beginning of “Rules for Radicals.” It read: “Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins — or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom — Lucifer.”
However, the fact-finding website said, the reference seemed less devotional and more figurative.
Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie also condemned Carson’s statement as missing the point of Alinsky’s literary reference to Lucifer.
“Can’t expect Ben Carson to recognize irony or humor,” the author tweeted July 20.
According to Politifact, former secretary of state Clinton also addressed Alinsky in her 2003 memoir “Living History,” saying she had “a fundamental disagreement” with some of the community organizer’s ideas.
