Carson sprinkles soapbox speech with humor, personal anecdotes
Ben Carson introduced himself to Iowans as a self-made product of the American dream from The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox on Sunday.
"The person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you," Carson told a packed, sweaty crowd in the afternoon sun.
The retired brain surgeon displayed his characteristic mix of humor, common-sense rhetoric and medical experience with a calm, slow voice.
At one point he earned cheers and laughs from the crowd after quickening his speaking cadence and basically rapping the neurological process of how the brain responds to a question.
"Working together, using our brains, we can save our nation," Carson told the crowd.
The Republican presidential candidate shared snapshots of his impoverished childhood in Detroit, which included a phase when he sought popularity through stylish clothing and "doing the Detroit strut" in school. Life changed, he said, after he fell in love with reading, dedicated himself to learning and got into Yale University.
Carson criticized the divisiveness of politics, emphasized the threatening weight of national debt and steered clear of most policy issues from the stage. He didn't take questions from the crowd as some other soapbox speakers have.
Following his speech, Carson told reporters he plans to eliminate federal subsidies for farming and other industries within 10 years if he is elected president.
The comment followed a statement about letting the free-market rule made earlier in the day at a "Rural Town Hall" video taping with RFD-TV.
"I would get rid of virtually every subsidy over the course of time and let the free market rise and fall," Carson said at the event in West Des Moines.
Iowa recently ranked second in the nation in ag subsidies, collecting $24.9 billion between 1995 and 2012, according to a study released in 2013 by the Environmental Working Group. The advocacy group estimated that $292.5 billion was paid in subsidies across the country during that time span.
Carson closed his soapbox speech, like many campaign stops, by advocating godly principles and urging voters to exercise their freedom of religious expression.
"We have to stop listening to these people who tell us we cannot listen to God and we cannot talk about our faith," Carson said, winning a loud round of applause.
AT THE EVENT
Quote: "We shouldn't let the professional class pick our presidents."
Crowd: Swollen crowds swarmed Ben Carson, often blocking foot traffic during a nearly four-hour visit at the Iowa State Fair. For his speech, the soapbox seating area was packed shoulder to shoulder, spreading across most of the Grand Concourse.
Other stops at the fair: Carson flipped a burger at the Iowa Pork Producers Association tent, saw the butter cow and visited many organizations in the Varied Industries Building, including the Right to Life booth, where he signed a petition to defund Planned Parenthood. He also joined a Register reporter for a ride over the fairgrounds on the Sky Glider.
Up next: Sunday was a one-day trip to Iowa, with three stops for Carson. Campaign staff said Carson plans to return to Iowa in September.