My Politico column today is on the rise of Ben Carson and his contrast with Donald Trump:

Carson has certainly made the most of his own renown, churning out best-sellers and raking in the speaking fees, but he operates from a baseline of self-respect and respect for others.
It’s impossible to imagine him engaging in juvenile insult wars with random targets of his ire. Or imagine him calling a female journalist a “bimbo” for asking questions that he found unwelcome. Or commenting crudely on women’s appearances.
Like Trump, Carson excoriates the culture of political correctness and has said his share of outrageous things, but he also doesn’t consider it beneath him to occasionally apologize.
America long ago turned its back on self-restraint and gentlemanliness. Conservatives were the last holdouts, but their dalliance with Trump makes you wonder if they, too, are willing to surrender to celebrity excess as the new norm.
Ben Carson stands for something different. His personal story shows how true class isn’t about riches, but about character. Donald Trump has all the finest things and, I’d hazard to guess, barely as much class as Ben Carson’s penniless mother, struggling to raise her sons, had in her pinky.
Carson may not ultimately have the political pull of Trump, who is more mediagenic and can potentially spend much more money. Yet, if conservatives want to flirt with an unconventional candidate, Carson provides the opportunity to do it without a guilty conscience.