Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is moving up in the Monmouth University Poll, coming in second after Donald Trump. Yet, talk show host and reporter Geraldo Rivera thinks that Carson’s race is the reason for his increasing popularity.
The Independent Journal reports that during a Friday evening show of The Five on Fox News, Rivera pointed out that he thinks that Carson’s popularity is based solely on him being a black presidential candidate . Rivera indicated, while comparing Carson to black mayor David Dinkins, that people voting in the polls are being “politically correct.”
“I’m reminded of David Dinkins, the first black mayor of New York City who, when people were polled, was killing Rudy Giuliani in their second matchup. And then, when Election Day came, it came, obviously, Giuliani beat Dinkins. I think a lot of Republicans polled by Monmouth are giving the politically correct answer. I hate to say it but Dr. Ben Carson… I think it’s all about being the black neurosurgeon, brilliant guy…”
After listening to Rivera’s opinions on Carson, co-host of The Five , Greg Gutfeld, brought up the point that Barack Obama won the presidential election twice, despite his race. Rivera responded to that remark.
“Obama was the least black guy you could possibly find.”
Others on the panel disagreed with Rivera, including guest co-host Jedediah Bila, who feels Carson’s popularity stems from his demeanor and being a “regular guy.”
“Ben Carson is so soft-spoken and he has this very stoic demeanor, he’s, you know, he’s not combative. But he’s also a regular guy. He’s a doctor, he comes from outside the political sphere.”
Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently spoke out on Carson’s increasing popularity, indicating that his opponent is spending money on campaign ads to gain more followers.
“One of [the polls] came out, and a little bit surprisingly there was a tie, and I think that’s great. But Ben is spending money in Iowa and I’m not.”
Yet, Iowa isn’t the only state where Carson’s numbers are rising. The former neurosurgeon’s popularity is increasing nationwide . Polls indicate that in August alone, he jumped from five percent to 18 percent across the United States.
Despite Rivera’s assessment of Carson’s popularity, supporters say that they admire Carson’s life story, and his fight to be successful, although he came from a modest background. Supporters feel that Ben Carson will help the nation’s important challenges while repairing its deteriorating politics.
[Photos Courtesy of Michael Loccisano/Getty Images & Bill Pugliano/Getty Images]
