Inside the push to draft Ben Carson for president

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- John Philip Sousa IV has a mission: Convince a retired neurosurgeon with no political experience to run for President -- and then help him win.

Sousa, 67, launched a super PAC last year that has raised millions in an effort to urge Dr. Ben Carson to explore a White House bid. Since the launch, Sousa and his team have proven to be a fundraising powerhouse, raising a whopping $12.2 million from more than 100,000 donors. That even edged out the effort by Hillary Clinton's supporters, who have raised $12.1 million for the "Ready for Hillary" super PAC.

Sousa's group, dubbed the "National Draft Ben Carson for President Campaign Committee," is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign in early voting states with plans to open a second office in Iowa later this month.

If Sousa's last name sounds familiar, that's because it should. He's the great grandson of John Philip Sousa, the composer known for his patriotic music.

Sousa's effort is adding to the buzz surrounding Carson, who catapulted onto the national political scene at last year's National Prayer Breakfast by delivering a stinging rebuke to Obamacare -- with President Barack Obama sitting just a few feet away. He has captivated some Republicans with stories of his difficult childhood and placed second behind Mitt Romney in a CNN/ORC poll last month that asked the GOP about their preferred presidential nominee.

Carson himself has said he has been considering a run after seeing the outpouring of support.

"It definitely seems to be having an impression," said Adam Waldeck, a spokesman for the American Legacy PAC, which Carson chairs.

Federal election rules bar Sousa from coordinating with Carson, who hasn't yet said whether he'll run in 2016. But Sousa talks about a potential run in the same unvarnished style that Carson embraces.

Sousa recently visited CNN's Washington bureau. Read the interview below, which has been edited and condensed for clarity:

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Inside the push to draft Ben Carson for president