Dr. Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump - and this one genuinely matters...

This morning, Dr.Ben Carson buried the hatchet and endorsed Donald Trump for President. Carson said:

"What I've seen recently is political operatives and parties trying to assert themselves and thwart the will of the people. I find that an extraordinarily dangerous place to be right now. I want the voice of the people to be heard, I want the political process to play out in the way that it should play out. And I don't think the Republican Party would be very wise to adopt a 'let’s stop this guy' policy and 'let’s promote this guy' policy.”

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Asked about his previous feud with Trump, Carson said "I have completely forgiven him. That's a duty one has as a Christian. ...We moved on because it's not about me. It's not about Mr. Trump. This is about America." For his part, Trump handled the yuuuuge Carson endorsement in a "luxurious, very classy," manner:

"Today is something very, very special because Doctor Ben Carson is respected by everybody. everybody wanted his endorsement. And everybody loves him and truly truly admires what he's done. His life has been an incredible life - it's been a awe-inspiring life and I just want to tell you: Having his support, really - I think it adds total credence to what I'm trying to do. To what we're all trying to do." Trump then called Carson a "Special, special person. A special man."

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Here's a quick clip from his announcement

Ben Carson: Trump and I "buried the hatchet" because it's not about us — it's about America https://t.co/4FMT31cEoN https://t.co/GZpJmfsZDU

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 11, 2016

I endorse @realDonaldTrump. It’s time to unite behind the candidate who will beat Hillary Clinton and return government to, "We the People"

— Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) March 11, 2016

Here are the main things you should take away from this: 1. Normally, I argue that endorsements don't matter. Usually, they amount to little more than chatter and they rarely "move the needle" for the candidate in question. I suspect this one will be a bit different. It may not send voters flocking to Trump, but it does put a dent in the armor of the ridiculous #NeverTrump movement. Carson is extremely well regarded by virtually everyone. He's undeniably intelligent and - though they've tried - the left has failed to portray him as a fool. His opinion will matter to the outsiders and those who are sick of the hubris inherent in both parties. 2. Way, way, back when the HermanCain.com team made weekly videos, I argued that Ben Carson was really running for Vice President, whether he knew it or not. I've never wavered on that opinion, and I still argue that he'd be a strong pick - particularly when the man at the top of the ticket is going to face a firestorm of "racism" charges. 3. We've been hearing the "2 Donald Trumps" line a lot lately, from a wide variety of people. Expect this to be the cornerstone of his campaign going forward. Clearly, he and his people feel the nomination is almost locked up, so a pivot to a "more presidential" (whatever that means) stance is inbound. Look for less and less bombast as we head toward the convention, and more and more substance. 4. Carson probably won't be the last to do this. Cruz has already signaled that he'll support "whoever" the eventual GOP nominee is, because "President Hillary" is simply unacceptable to any sane human being. Granted, Carson never hit the Trump buzzsaw as hard as Cruz has, but I'd be willing to bet that - if Trump wins both Florida and Ohio - it won't be long before all three "outsider" candidates will be on the same train.

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