Ben Carson Quotes

I tend to be what I would call more progressive than conservative, but I think either extreme is excessive.

I'm an independent, probably. I'm not dogmatic. I've supported Democrats and Republicans.

What matters most is finding practical, pragmatic solutions .... Ideological purity is for partisan extremists.

I consider myself a logical person and, you know, a lot of people try to categorize me in one way or another. You know, there are some of the things that I say that probably would be considered very much non-conservative. But I don't think really conservative or liberal; I think: What makes sense? What's going to help the American people? What's going to give them what they need? Not only in health care but in terms of jobs, in terms of education, in terms of a whole host of issues.

People ask me, "Are you right wing or are you left wing?" and I always say, "I'm for the whole bird." A one-winged bird didn't ever get off the ground.

I'm center left, but I think - most things, left on some, center on some, right on very few.

You can call me an Eisenhower Republican. There is a gigantic gulf between an Eisenhower Republican and the kind of fringe brand of Republicanism that is being so vocally promoted today.

I am neither left wing nor right wing. I am middle-of-the-bird.

I'm not right wing, I'm not left wing. I love my country.

For most of my life, I've considered myself a political centrist.

By temperament and disposition and emotions, I'm a liberal; but in my beliefs about what's best for the country, I'm a centrist.

I'm an independent, straight in the middle. I've donated to candidates that I thought would be good that are Republican and Democrats alike.

I'm pretty middle-of-the-road. There are some issues I'm more conservative on.

I'm a pro-capitalist, middle-of-the-road, tepid centrist.

I'm what you would call an 'independent moderate.'

I am not a Federalist because I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatsoever

I don't fit neatly into anybody's political boxes, and I think that sometimes disturbs people. But I don't think most Alaskans fit neatly into the Republican box or the Democratic box. They don't think of themselves that way.

I believe that being conservative means you try to get in to the middle of the fight and try to solve the problem.

I like common sense, to try and be the voice of reason at work.

I'm not very party-political, really; I am more strategic than that.

Personally, I'm not a Republican, and I'm not a Democrat. People need to stop focusing on becoming part of a party and instead voting with their mind and their heart.

People ask me if I'm liberal or conservative. I say neither - I'm pragmatic.

The main discomfort in being a middle-of-the-roader is that you get sideswiped by partisans going in both directions.

I think people recognize that I'm not a partisan Republican that I'm someone who is moderate, and that my views are progressive.

For me all governments are my enemies and I've never made any bones about it any other way other than directly, and I don't fly the left flag or the right flag, me, I'm common sense.