Ben Stein tells
Newsmax TV that Sens. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, the three Republican candidates who entered the 2016 presidential race this week, are "not on my list" of viable contenders.
The actor, author and speechwriter for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford said Wednesday that of Mike Huckabee, Dr. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, the former governor of Arkansas has the most experience.
"I love Mike Huckabee. He's an incredibly talented, funny guy, and a genuinely religious guy who has great religious principles," Stein said Wednesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
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Stein was less complimentary about Carson, a retired pediatric neurosurgeon and rising conservative star.
"Ben Carson to me is not a serious candidate. He has no experience whatsoever on the national scene. The few times I've seen him interviewed, I've been extremely disappointed," he said.
As for Carly Fiorina — the former CEO of computer giant Hewlett-Packard and the only female GOP candidate to declare so far — Stein is also unimpressed.
"Carly Fiorina has some bad stains left on her from her days as a corporate chieftain," he said.
"I don't think anyone seriously thinks that she is presidential timber. I don't know where she got the idea in her head that she was."
While none of the new presidential wannabes is on his radar, Stein —whose films include "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Ghostbusters II" — noted that Republicans have "some very, very good candidates" in the mix.
"Rubio [of Florida] is a great candidate. Jeb Bush is a great candidate," Stein said.
Bush, former governor of Florida, has not formally declared he is running yet, but is expected to.
"For those who are on that line of thinking, Rand Paul [of Kentucky] has his points. I'm not on that line of thinking, but we have some good candidates," Stein added.
Stein is author of the "Dreemz" column in Newsmax Magazine.
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