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Ben Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University, is conservatives鈥� newest darling. He is smart, successful, affable 鈥� and African-American.

At the National Prayer Breakfast last month, Dr. Carson first won political notice with his critique of Obamacare. He also warned that 鈥渕oral decay鈥� and 鈥渇iscal irresponsibility鈥� can destroy a nation from within 鈥� even a powerful country like America. President Obama sat stone-faced nearby.

Then at last weekend鈥檚 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, Carson won several standing ovations as he spoke about his upbringing by a single mom in Detroit, the importance of education, the need for a flat tax, and the 鈥渨ar on God.鈥�

Carson also announced he鈥檚 retiring in about three months, and suggested he鈥檚 open to running for president. The Wall Street Journal is already on board: 鈥淏en Carson for President,鈥� its editorial page wrote after the prayer breakfast.

But for a Republican Party eager for new talent 鈥� and the support of minorities 鈥� Carson may not be a perfect fit. For starters, he鈥檚 not a Republican; he鈥檚 an independent. And in with the Daily Caller website, posted late Tuesday, the doctor revealed that he opposed both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and believes 鈥渃onsenting adults have the right to formalize a relationship between them.鈥�

Carson described a letter he wrote to President Bush after the 9/11 attacks, suggesting a course of action that did not involve invading Iraq or even Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda was operating.

鈥淚 actually wrote President Bush a letter before the [Iraq] war started and I said, you know, what I would do is I would use the bully pulpit at this moment of great national unity and, very much in a Kennedy-esque type fashion, say within 10 years we鈥檙e going to become petroleum independent,鈥� Carson told The Daily Caller.

鈥淎nd that would鈥檝e been much more effective than going to war because, first of all, the moderate Arab states would鈥檝e been terrified.聽And they would鈥檝e handed over Osama bin Laden and anybody else we wanted on a silver platter to keep us from doing that.鈥�

鈥淢ost importantly,鈥� he added, 鈥渢he terrorists will be defunded, and that鈥檚 the way you get to them.鈥�

Carson said he opposed going to war in Afghanistan, because of the country鈥檚 history.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got 300 tribal leaders throughout the country who have never been united in anything, so who are you going to negotiate with?鈥� he said. 鈥淗ow are you going to achieve peace in a situation like that?鈥�

But Carson isn鈥檛 an isolationist. On both Iraq and Afghanistan, he says he would have used covert means to go after Bin Laden and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

In general, 鈥渁s the pinnacle nation in the world, we play a critical role in the direction of the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think we have to be active.鈥�

Perhaps it comes as no surprise that Carson is a fan of Sen. Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, who advocates a return to a noninterventionist, diplomacy-based foreign policy, but not isolationism.

Speaking Monday on Fox News, Carson told Sean Hannity he is impressed with Senator Paul, and not just because he鈥檚 a doctor like him.

鈥淗e thinks quite logically,鈥� Carson said. 鈥淗e has courage. He鈥檚 willing to take positions that some other people won鈥檛.鈥�

If Carson decides to become a Republican and run for the 2016 nomination, he may well face Paul in the primaries. But in the meantime, he, like Paul, is out there, saying what he thinks and gaining prominence. In building a fan base, Paul is a few steps ahead. He won the CPAC presidential straw poll with 25 percent of the vote, on a ballot with 23 candidates. Carson tied for seventh with 4 percent. But that鈥檚 not bad for a guy who just a few weeks ago was not on many activists鈥� radar.