CNN’s Camerota Defends CAIR Distorting Ben Carson on Muslim President

Ferguson: ‘He’s not saying that we should pass a law and/or there is a law where a Muslim cannot run’

CAMEROTA: “Okay, Ben, it sounds like he’s sticking to his original thought of he would not support a Muslim candidate. Is that okay for him to say?”
FERGUSON: “Yes, it is, and that’s exactly what he should do. And I think many people have taken him out of context. When he said his original comment, ‘I would not advocate for someone that is a Muslim to be in the White House.’ He did not say, as CAIR came out and implied, that you should be disqualified from running for the office of the presidency if you are Muslim. And they kept saying ‘the Constitution says that you should not have a test on someone’s religion. He never advocated for that. He never said —“
CAMEROTA: “Ben, Ben, hold on. He did say here — I will read it verbatim. Chuck Todd asked, ‘So do you believe that Islam is consistent with the Constitution?’ Islam. Not radical Islam, not extremist. And Ben Carson says, ‘No, I don’t. I do not.’”
FERGUSON: “Right. Which — which is his personal belief. He’s not saying that we should pass a law and or there is a law where a Muslim cannot run. He’s saying, personally, I am not going to support someone who is Muslim because I do not think that it coincides with my beliefs and what America is about. It’s the same way Democrats say they are never going to vote for a Republican who is against, as they put it, ‘a woman’s right to choose,’ even know it’s the issue of abortion. This is very normal in politics to have a set of values that you will advocate for and you will not advocate for. It’s the reason why I won’t support Hillary Clinton.”
CAMEROTA: “Sure, it’s — yes — it’s just not, it’s not consistent in politics to rule out millions of people because they follow a particular religion and say that they could never be President, but — go ahead, Richard, I know you want in there.”
SOCARIDES: “Well, listen, I think the point is, you know, we’re trying to slice this every which way. It’s hard to know exactly where is stands because I think he’s, you know, gone this way a little bit, then he’s gone the other way a little bit. But the truth is, is that we should call this for what it is. I mean, right, both Mr. Carson and Mr. Trump, they are pandering to the extreme right-wing racist elements in their party, and they are intentionally –“
FERGUSON: “I strongly disagree.”
SOCARIDES: “They — they are intentionally leaving a little wiggle room so that when they may have to run in the general election, they can take some of it back. But right now, there is a strong element in the Republican Party which they are appealing to — this anti-immigrant, this anti-everybody faction — and that’s who they’re appealing to.”

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