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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Elle Hunt

Rupert Murdoch's gushing tweets on Ben Carson epitomise his worldview

The world according to Rupert Murdoch via Twitter.
The world according to Rupert Murdoch via Twitter. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

Rupert Murdoch’s suggestion that Ben Carson could well have what it takes to be a “real black president” of the United States is his latest endorsement of the Republican candidate on Twitter, in a series of tweets that span as far back as January.

Murdoch first tweeted about Carson in late January, picking him one to watch even at that very early stage in the campaign. He’d read Carson’s autobiography years before, and described him as a “principled brave achiever” with a “great American story”.

By March, he was recommending two books by Carson (he has written six), which had left Murdoch with no doubts about the candidate’s “wonderful character”, but some about his presidential chops: “sadly seems political naif”.

But Murdoch’s Twitter commentary keeps pace with his changing opinions. In August, it was “good to see Ben Carson still gaining”; he has a “wonderful story”. The next day, he praised Carson’s restraint in debates: “Being above the fray seems to be working. Class act”.

Murdoch took heart in poll results at the end of August – “so character DOES count. His life story should make every American optimistic” – and later depicted the contest between Carson and fellow Republican candidate Donald Trump as “America land of hope versus fear”.

Murdoch first compared Ben Carson to Barack Obama – of whom he is frequently critical – in early September: “sincere men, different values”.

Days later, Murdoch was reading (or rereading – we’re not to know) another book by Carson: “[I] recommend [it] to everybody”.

His praise has ramped up in enthusiasm and frequency in the past month. “Everywhere pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson,” he tweeted on Saturday. “But public understand humility as admirable, listen to the multi-faceted strong message.”

Murdoch’s endorsement culminated on Thursday with his suggestion that Carson would make a “real black president who can properly address the racial divide [...] and much else”, drawing anger from Obama’s supporters and incredulity from those who are simply aware of him.

Hours later Murdoch’s name was trending globally on Twitter. But as any one of his 631,000-odd followers there will know, it’s all par for the course in his off-the-cuff, frank and seemingly unfiltered approach to that platform.

Here’s an insight into the world according to Rupert Murdoch, according to Rupert Murdoch on Twitter.

The Great Barrier Reef looks no different to how it did in 1965

The impact of global warming is overstated, too

Smartphones: they’re good

Speaking of which – can he get an Apple Watch?

Vice: one to watch

The ancient Egyptians were white

Tide: it’s part of the weather (he’s not wrong)

A good book stands rereading – even after (not quite) five years

Former Australian PM Tony Abbott: the happy warrior

The happy warrior, burdened by his chief of staff

… though, really, what can any politician do? (@rupertmurdoch)

He’s as susceptible to his daughters as any father

We Bought a Zoo is a great film

End gun violence

He reiterated the sentiment after the Newtown school shootings in Australia, warranting a sharp retort from Malcolm Turnbull, then a shadow minister but now the country’s prime minister.

He’s ambivalent about Page 3 of the Sun

And he has a love-hate relationship with Twitter

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