I look at things as they might be, and ask myself, 'Mightn't they?'

Ben Carson . . . retired neurosurgeon and conservative star . . . [has ]been traveling around the country in what might be called a non-strategic way.

Yes, indeed, it might. As I was speaking only yesterday of Dave Clarke (serendipity or recency bias? I say serendipity), Dave Clarke has a far better chance of running an even marginally competent campaign for president than Ben Carson.

I don't say that a really, really smart and disciplined guy could never be able to do it, but I come so close to saying so that it's practically the same. Some electoral experience is certainly an advantage and might even be necessary.

But even then, c'mon. What's wrong with running for senator? Or congressman? Maybe as a campaign for vice president it might make sense, but even there I'm skeptical. The last thing anyone should want is another flameout campaign--and it sure seems as if most campaigns are indeed flameouts, not just failures or at least losers, which is by definition necessarily true, but actually damaging misfires. This is especially the case when it is somebody who clearly has a lot to bring to the table and shouldn't foolishly risk their credibility.