I have heard many say that Carson should not have exposed Cruz for what happened but should have placed the blame on CNN because CNN was the one who reported the rumor. The rumor was spread around just before the caucus started and indicated that Ben Carson was suspending his campaign.
Let’s take a look at this with a little logic.
Everyone seems to agree that it was wrong of CNN to publish this rumor without finding out the facts. Cruz only jumped on that. Let’s think for just a minute. If it was wrong for CNN to report the rumor without first finding out the facts, wasn’t it also wrong for Cruz’ campaign workers to spread the rumor without finding out the facts? A number of people who attended the caucus and were voting for Carson reported that some of Cruz’ campaign people had spoken to them and told them that Carson had suspended his campaign and that they should not bother to waste their votes on him.
Well, couldn’t it have been an “innocent mistake” on the part of the Cruz campaign workers? Couldn’t they have possibly thought that Carson did suspend his campaign? Yes, it could be that they did really think that. However, the problem lies in that they did not check the story out first before spreading it around.
Here are a couple of things to consider.
I saw an article (not a CNN article, but just a link I clicked on when I opened up my homepage) that mentioned that Carson had returned home for a fresh set of clothes. The article hinted that some felt that meant Carson may be suspending his campaign. The article also said that Carson had tweeted that he was not suspending his campaign. Since I saw this article right about the time the caucus was starting, it would likely have been posted before the caucus started. The information, at any rate, had to have been obtained before the caucus began. The reporter knew that Carson had denied the rumor.
A quick look at Carson’s Facebook page would have also told the Cruz campaign workers that Carson was not suspending his campaign. About 45 minutes before the caucus started, Ben Carson posted on his Facebook page that the Iowa caucus was about to start and said, “I ask you to trust me with your vote.”
What ended up happening was that Carson’s voters were given false information. This affected many voters and hurt some voters and Carson’s campaign. It also affected many others.
It is not clear who started the rumor. Some say Cruz gave the information to CNN. That may be, but I kind of doubt that. Others blame it on CNN; but it seems like they must have heard the information somewhere. Some blame it on a tweet by a Senator who said that Carson was suspending his campaign.
There is a good lesson in all of this. We may never know who actually started the rumor. However, we can see the great power of just a few words. This rumor has damaged the reputation of two candidates for President; it has hurt many voters; it has affected the trust of many followers of these candidates; and it has caused arguments and disagreements. This little rumor has affected thousands. How very true the words, “5Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:5,6) God help us to remember and keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking guile!