So good: Ben Carson goes to National Press Club and tells media how awful they are

Last week Rob explained one of the main reasons Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican nomination race, in spite of having spent only $2 million on his campaign so far. In essence, Trump understands what traditional Republican candidates don't about how to deal with the media: Don't take their crap, don't let them intimidate you and don't be afraid to call them on their idiocy and dishonesty. Perhaps you've noticed that Ben Carson is in second place. And in case you haven't noticed that Carson has learned the exact same lesson and is applying it well, behold. You've rarely seen a more beautiful take-down of the news media than this - and in their house, no less - and it simply comes from understanding what they do and not being afraid to call them out:

There is a larger lesson here that goes way beyond candidates winning primary races. As we've often discussed in this space, the Republican majority in Congress has found it almost impossible to govern, and that's directly related to their constantly, abject fear of the media. How many times have they backed down from a fight with Obama because "the media will accuse us of shutting down the government"? That of course begs the obvious question: Why do you concede that fight to the media? Why not take them on? The answer is they don't think it can be done. They still think it's 1978 and they still buy the thinking that says, "Don't pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel, as if it's not possible in 2015 for them to wield media technology on their own and take it to the lamestreamers. This is one of the things that frustrates conservatives most in dealing with Beltway Republicans, and Carson shows here exactly how to do what they think can't be done. You call them out for what they do. You give specific examples. You remind them of what their job is supposed to be, and you remind them of the consequence they're bringing upon themselves in the form of lost trust from the public as a result. By the way, the lamestream media are aware that people don't trust them. But they fail to understand their own role in bringing this about. Last week the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza penned a whiny column lamenting how bad for the country it is that no one trusts the media anymore. And it actually is bad for the country. But the solution is not for everyone to just start trusting them because that would be so much better. The solution is for them to change the way they do things so they'll deserve that trust, and it starts by addressing the kinds of issues Carson brought up in this speech. Why other Republicans can't see this is beyond me, but maybe this is single most positive thing that will come from the Trump and Carson candidacies. (And by the way, Carly Fiorina is pretty good at this too.) The press are your enemy. Treat them that way and don't back down. Not only is it the way to get elected, it's the way to govern too.

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