Somebody Needs to Explain the Whole Ben Carson Thing To Me

I've been closely following presidential politics since the early 1990s and over that time I think I've generally had a pretty good grasp on why certain candidates have done better than others.

The appeal of Bill Clinton in '92 and '96? Obvious.

The folksy charm of a popular Texas governor with the last name of Bush? I got that too, even though I was firmly against everything he stood for.

John Kerry? War hero and longtime Democratic stalwart in the Senate? Got it.

President Obama? Even as a Clinton supporter in '08, there was no denying his extreme intelligence and inspirational appeal.

McCain and Romney? Sure, whatever.

Now here we are fast approaching the Iowa caucuses of 2016. The appeal of Hillary and Bernie is obvious of course. And I may not like any of the GOP career politicians running for president, but at least candidates like Rubio and Cruz make some sense as potential nominees. Hell, I can even see how the crazy conservative Bulworth antics of Trump would resonate with some.

But I just don't get the whole Ben Carson thing. It's seriously just about the weirdest shit I've ever seen in my life.