Story highlights Ben Carson is calling on the five Republican presidential candidates to all gather 
 
 Carson said 'this race has taken a turn for the worse" 
 
 Washington (CNN) Ben Carson is calling on the five Republican presidential candidates to all gather and bury their hatchets before Thursday night's debate in Detroit. 
 
 In a statement, Carson, a long-shot in a race dominated by Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said that "this race has taken a turn for the worse, to the point of embarrassment on the world stage." 
 
 He blamed the race's negativity -- which in recent days has featured Trump mocking Rubio's perspiration and Rubio joking about the size of Trump's fingers -- on the media. 
 
 "If we are to defeat our Democratic opponent in the general election this November, we must reach an agreement together with each other that we will not succumb to the media's desire for a fight on the stage in Detroit," Carson said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 The statement said Carson is reaching out to each candidate by phone in an effort to set up a meeting in the hours before Thursday's Fox News debate. 
 
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 Ben Carson leads field ... for Trump VP pick 
 
 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE Republican Presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson says he's disappointed by the fighting among his fellow Republicans. Carson spoke with reporters after a Presidential forum in Spartanburg, South Carolina. (Feb. 18) AP 
 
 Retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson complained in an op-ed on FoxNews.com on Monday that pundits have turned the presidential race into “blood sport” and that they “salivate” over polling numbers. 
 
 Carson vowed (once again) that he will not drop out of the race despite his relatively low showing in those polls. (He is currently virtually tied for last among Republican candidates in the RealClearPolitics polling average.) 
 
 “I trust that the American people will soon wake-up and realize that leadership is not about how one speaks, but rather the life one leads,” Carson wrote. 
 
 (Photo: Pat McDonogh, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal-USA TODAY Sports) 
 
 Ironically, another poll released Monday actually has him leading the field — of potential vice presidential picks for Donald Trump. 
 
 Morning Consult asked Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters over the weekend who the real estate magnate should pick and came up with this result: 
 
 • Ben Carson 11% 
 
 • Ted Cruz 9% 
 
 • Marco Rubio 9% 
 
 • John Kasich 8% 
 
 • Chris Christie 8% 
 
 • Jeb Bush 4% 
 
 Nearly 40% of respondents said they didn’t know or didn’t have an opinion. Two percent picked Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and star on ABC's Shark Tank. 
 
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Video provided by Newsy Newslook 8 of 20 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE BEN CARSON ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Carson Suggests Campaign Shake-up is Coming | 0:57 In an interview with the Associated Press, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said he is moving toward a major shake-up of his struggling campaign, with just six weeks to go until early voting begins to select party nominees. (Dec. 23) AP 9 of 20 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE BEN CARSON ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Ben Carson Unveils Health Care Plan | 1:33 GOP presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson outlines his health care plan for the first time while campaigning in Michigan. He also discussed terrorism and the American Muslim community. 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(Nov. 20) AP 12 of 20 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE BEN CARSON ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Ben Carson compares some Syrian refugees to rabid dogs | 1:33 Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said Thursday that blocking potential terrorists posing as Syrian refugees from entering the U.S. is akin to handling a rabid dog. (Nov. 19) AP 13 of 20 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE BEN CARSON ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Carson: Eliminate 'Global Jihadist Movement' | 1:24 Republican Presidential Candidate Ben Carson condemned the terror attacks in Paris during a speech at a presidential summit in Orlando, Florida. He says the U.S. must work to eliminate hatred in the world. (Nov. 13) AP 14 of 20 Skip in Skip x Embed x Share CLOSE BEN CARSON ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Trump: No cure If Carson 'pathological' | 2:21 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says that rival Ben Carson has a "pathological temper" that can't be cured. 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 Ben Carson reached out Tuesday to his fellow Republican presidential candidates with a plea for civility, trying to prevent the next debate from beaming a repeat of the ruckus in Houston last week. 
 
 “This race has taken a turn for the worse, to the point of embarrassment on the world stage,” Mr. Carson said in a statement. “A house divided cannot stand, and it is imperative the Republican Party exhibit unity by the candidates coming together with a pledge to talk about the many serious problems facing our country, instead of personally attacking each other.” 
 
 He called for an end to “sophomoric attacks.” 
 
 The retired neurosurgeon said that he had contacted the other four GOP candidates and requested a meeting before the debate Wednesday in Detroit, hoping to agree on a code of conduct for the event. 
 
 At the last debate, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas viciously sparred with billionaire businessman Donald Trump. Mr. Carson’s most memorable line form that debate was asking, “Would someone attack me,” as he struggled to get airtime. 
 
 “If we are to defeat our democratic opponent in the general election this November, we must reach an agreement together each other that we will not succumb to the media’s desire for a fight on the stage in Detroit,” Mr. Carson added. “I am confident that the five remaining candidates can rise above the sophomoric attacks of past encounters and have a serious discussion about substantive issues and how we will lead our nation forward toward a more prosperous and secure future.”
– Ben Carson is apparently wondering why we all can't just get along. The GOP presidential candidate released a statement Tuesday saying that the presidential race "has taken a turn for the worse, to the point of embarrassment on the world stage," and noting that Carson is calling all of his fellow candidates to try to set up a meeting before Thursday's Fox News debate, CNN reports. At that meeting, Carson hopes the candidates can agree on a code of conduct for the debate, the Washington Times reports. "If we are to defeat our Democratic opponent in the general election this November, we must reach an agreement together with each other that we will not succumb to the media's desire for a fight on the stage in Detroit," the statement says. As CNN notes, in recent days, Donald Trump has mocked how much Marco Rubio sweats and Rubio has, in turn, mocked the size of Trump's fingers. "I am confident that the five remaining candidates can rise above the sophomoric attacks of past encounters and have a serious discussion about substantive issues and how we will lead our nation forward toward a more prosperous and secure future," Carson's statement reads. "America's children and grandchildren are depending on us to fight for them and future generations, not fight each other." Some good news for Carson, who is currently polling last among the GOP field: A USA Today poll finds he's the top contender for Trump's VP pick.