--- title: Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls description: Ben Carson surpassed Donald Trump in Facebook Likes, and his campaign says hat's also how he beat Trump to the No. 1 spot in national polls. canonical: https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-03T19:49:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:01:03.749Z article:section: Politics og:title: How Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls og:description: They feature two campaign staffers chatting and joking. og:url: https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde0b028ba2fdda41/69886896bc6cfc684f3d9f19/ben-carson3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Ben Carson og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls twitter:description: They feature two campaign staffers chatting and joking. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde0b028ba2fdda41/69886896bc6cfc684f3d9f19/ben-carson3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 3, 2015 7:49 PM UTC  Dr. Ben Carson speaks at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, Oct 9, 2015. Dr. Ben Carson speaks at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, Oct 9, 2015.Andrew Harnik—AP  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Nov 3, 2015 7:49 PM UTC Jeb Bush has [slick campaign ads](http://time.com/4024877/jeb-bush-donald-trump-campaign-ad/) made by professionals. Donald Trump has [tightly edited Instagram videos](http://time.com/4018574/jeb-bush-donald-trump-video/). And Ben Carson? A series of [low-budget, goofy videos](https://www.facebook.com/realbencarson/videos/vb.138691142964027/548814438618360/?type=2&theater) in which his campaign manager and senior strategist joke and chat about recent news on his presidential campaign. Though it’s an unorthodox way to reach out to voters, the Carson campaign says the videos are a key part of a social media strategy that stresses the retired neurosurgeon’s authenticity, arguing it’s helped him get the most Facebook likes and [reach the top of GOP polls](http://time.com/4098308/ben-carson-poll/). “Our social media program is the best of the candidates’,” Carson communications director Doug Watts told TIME when asked what he thinks contributed to Carson’s rise to the top. “Amongst the Republicans I think we do everything right with social media and we continue to do more and innovate and to try new things.” Carson has over 4.5 million Facebook followers. One thing the campaign is certainly doing right is the regular campaign update videos posted on the Facebook page, starring campaign manager Barry Bennett and senior strategist Ed Brookover. On Oct. 28, the team posted an “in-flight broadcast” on their way to the third Republican debate. “Have you been on the show before, Doug?” Bennett jokes to Watts, who was appearing in place of Brookover. Watts says it is. “Welcome to the show, come back any time, really,” Bennett says. **Read More:** [_The Secret of Ben Carson’s Campaign Success: Facebook_](http://time.com/4025577/ben-carson-facebook-campaign/) In the next video, posted November 2, Brookover returns. “I was jealous last week, you did one with Doug,” he says. “Don’t worry, we didn’t break up,” Bennett replies. Most of the campaign update videos proceed this way, with the top dogs of the Carson team ribbing each other and speaking casually about new poll numbers and fundraising updates. And they have been a massive success; the Nov. 2 video got more than 4,000 Facebook likes in less than 24 hours. “I can’t overstate how successful \[they’ve\] been,” Watts says of the campaign update videos. He says people now know who Bennett and Brookover are when the team hits the road; the two stars have had to sign autographs, and a woman “started to paw” Brookover’s arm at an Iowa rally after recognizing him from the videos. “These videos Barry and I do have taken a life of their own,” Brookover echoed. “One couple here in northern Virginia asked for me to take a picture taken with their child.” Watts says now that their candidate is the frontrunner, the team is going to stick with the same strategy that got him there in the first place. But there’s a bit more pressure: “We have to maintain our profile and we have to begin showing ourselves as presidential.” **Read Next:** [_Why Ben Carson Is Running For President_](http://time.com/4055737/ben-carson-interview-time/) ### See Ben Carson's Life in Photos  An early childhood photograph of Ben Carson. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Ben Carson's graduation from Southwestern High School, Detroit circa 1969. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Ben Carson with his mother, Sonya, and his future wife, Candy after his graduation from Yale University, circa 1973. Courtesy of Ben Carson Campaign  Dr. Donlin Long, director of neurosurgery, left, and Dr. Ben Carson director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital, with brain model of the Siamese twins separated in a 22-hour surgery at Hopkins, Sept. 7, 1987, in Baltimore. Fred Kraft—AP  Dr. Ben Carson shares his personal story with middle school students on March 17, 2000 in Roswell, N.M. Aaron J. Walker—AP  Dr Dennis Rohner, Dr Beat Hammer, Dr Ivan Ng, Dr Ben Carson, Prof. Walter Tan, and Dr Keith Goh rehearse an operation to separate conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani from Iran at Raffles Hospital on July 5, 2003 in Singapore. Reuters  Dr. Keith Goh (left) adjusts the frame on conjoined twins Ladan and Laleh Bijani as Dr. Ben Carson observes the start of neurosurgery proceedings at the Raffles Hospital on July 6, 2003 in Singapore. Getty Images  Ten-year-old Indian twins Sabah and Farah sit beside Ben Carson (C), Managing Director, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, Anne Marie Moncure, their father Shakeel (L), their brother (R) and senior child specialist of Apollo Hospital, Dr. Anupan Sibal, on Oct. 4, 2005 in New Delhi. Raveendran—AFP/Getty Images  George W. Bush presents a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ben Carson for his work with neurological disorders on June 19, 2008 at the White House in Washington. Alex Wong—Getty Images  Ben Carson officially announces his candidacy for President of the United States on May 4, 2015 in Detroit. Bill Pugliano—Getty Images  Ben Carson poses for a photo during the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner on May 16, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Ben Carson speaks during the Energizing America Gala at the 2015 Southern Republican Leadership Conference May 22, 2015 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Alex Wong—Getty Images  Ben Carson at a political fund-raiser for GOP candidates on June 6, 2015, in Boone, Iowa. Jabin Bostford—The Washington Post/Getty Images  Republican presidential candidates from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich take the stage for the first Republican presidential debate on Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland. Andrew Harnik—AP  Ben Carson prays during church services at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines , Iowa. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Ben Carson rides the Sky Glider with a reporter while touring the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines, Iowa. Justin Sullivan—Getty Images  Ben Carson and his wife Candy on Aug. 18, 2015 in Phoenix. Ross D. Franklin—AP  Ben Carson is greeted by supporters at a rally on Aug. 27, 2015 in Little Rock, Ark. Danny Johnston—AP  Ben Carson at a service at Maple Street Missionary Baptist Church on Aug. 16, 2015 in Des Moines. Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/"},"headline":"How Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls","datePublished":"2015-11-03T19:49:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:01:03.749Z","description":"Ben Carson surpassed Donald Trump in Facebook Likes, and his campaign says hat's also how he beat Trump to the No. 1 spot in national polls.","url":"https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/","keywords":["2016 Election topic","Dr. Benjamin S. Carson"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde0b028ba2fdda41/69886896bc6cfc684f3d9f19/ben-carson3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde0b028ba2fdda41/69886896bc6cfc684f3d9f19/ben-carson3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ben Carson","caption":"Ben Carson","creditText":"Andrew Harnik—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4098381/ben-carson-campaign-videos-poll/","name":"How Ben Carson Used Goofy Videos to Rise in the Polls"}}]}] ```