Former pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson continues to rise in the polls, despite having never held political office, and political commentator Byron York says that part of the reason is because he is a very appealing candidate.
Carson is in fourth place in the Real Clear Politics average of polls with support from 9.4 percent of Republican voters, and that number has slowly risen since he first announced his candidacy in early May, when he was at 4.8 percent.
In addition, the former neurosurgeon won the straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver over the weekend, the Washington Examiner reported.
York, who writes for the Washington Examiner, gives five reasons why Carson is so popular among conservative audiences: First, "Carson is really appealing."
He appears to stand apart from the categories that other candidates fit in, whether it's old vs. new, governor vs. senator, populist vs. establishment, and the like.
Second, as a candidate who has never held office before, "he speaks to the throw-'em-out strain among conservatives."
Carson told the conservative group in Denver that "the professional pundits say, 'You can't do it because you're not a politician.' I would say I can do it because I'm not a politician."
York says that this appeals to conservatives who are fed up with politicians, even Republican politicians.
Third, there are a group of Republicans who like Carson's "it's-really-very-simple commonsense approach to complex issues."
A fourth reason for his appeal is partly because he is the only black candidate running for the Republican nomination, and "he might appeal to that part of the Republican mind that has been scarred by years of accusations of racism."
Lastly, "Carson projects a serenity and faith" that is also attractive to some.
Whatever the reason, York says that "Carson's rise and unorthodox campaign style ... has left some of his rivals baffled."
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