Assuming no surprise announcements take place in the next two weeks, famed neurosurgeon turned Tea Party star Ben Carson is expected to become the 4th official Republican candidate for the White House.
Earlier today Carson’s campaign revealed he will make a ‘major announcement’ on May 4th in Detroit, CNN reports. Tickets will soon be available for the event which is at the Music Hall for Performing Arts.
Despite being a political novice, Carson’s support among the Republican base, particularly Tea Party-affiliated voters, has buoyed his numbers in the polls conducted since earlier this year when he announced the formation of an exploratory committee.
According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Carson has traded places with Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul for third place behind Scott Walker and Jeb Bush, and in some polls even led those numbers prior to the Cruz and Paul announcements.
The clear strategy, for Team Carson, is to cast his persona as an untainted, outsider with the mind power to offer critical solutions to the nation’s problems. That tactic won much acclaim for business executive Herman Cain before scandal forced him to withdraw from the 2012 presidential race.
What’s more, Carson is currently the only black American candidate for president from either party. This could add a critical dynamic to the race, given the GOP’s historic inability to woo much more than 10% of the black vote in recent presidential elections.
