Are you familiar with the 37-year-old Cincinnati Indian American Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy running for the 2024 Republican nomination? If you are not, it is time to do some homework. He is the worst, the most dangerous of the unimpressive dozen Republicans running for president.
For months, it has been easy to ignore Ramaswamy. Before he announced his candidacy, most of us had never heard of him. He has not held public office. He looked like one more multi-millionaire ready to use his own money to fund the adventure of a lifetime. What is more exciting? Buying a trip to outer space or dreaming about becoming president?
Ramaswamy fashions himself as the embodiment of the American dream. He is a successful businessman with an estimated fortune of $640 million. He is positioning himself as a baggage-free successor to Donald Trump, who, Ramaswamy promises, he will pardon if elected.
The Ramaswamy campaign is about the evils of “wokeism,” which he proclaims is destroying America. He champions merit over entitlement and is ready to condemn anyone he views as disagreeing with him.
While the harm (or merit) of “wokeism” is subject to debate, Ramaswamy’s views on “wokeism” could prove to be harmless rhetoric. Far worse is his vision on how to run the United States. He is a textbook authoritarian and has a plan to disassemble the deep state through executive fiat. Without interference from Congress, he would abolish the Department of Education, the FBI, the IRS, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ramaswamy’s vision and his strategy of championing Trumpism and promising the ex-president a pardon while at the same time seeking to replace him as head of the GOP is resonating with some Republicans. Should Trump’s legal problems worsen, which is all but certain, Ramaswamy could suddenly find himself as the 2024 Republican nominee.
Are today’s Republicans ready to support an Indian American candidate? Maybe. Unlike Trump, who might be considered Ramaswamy’s inspiration to run for president, Ramaswamy has an impressive personal story. The offspring of Indian immigrants, he was valedictorian of his high school and attended Harvard before going to Yale Law School. He is an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur who amassed a net worth of more than $15 million before graduating from law school. And he is more articulate than any other candidate of either party currently running for president.
So why is Ramaswamy’s candidacy so worrisome? Because he could win. As a multi-millionaire, he is able to self-fund his campaign, if needed. He already has qualified for the first GOP presidential debate and is the only candidate likely to be a match for Chris Christie. While Christie talks about Trump, Ramaswamy talks about “equal opportunity, not equal results.” The message resonates with many Republicans.
Ramaswamy has conveniently adopted the standard set of MAGA policies, echoing Trump on foreign policy, “border security,” and abortion. There are minor differences between Ramaswamy and Trump, but not many. On abortion, for example, Ramaswamy supports Ohio’s six-week abortion ban with exceptions for rape, incest, and danger to the mother or child. He opposes a federal ban on abortion, likely because of his distaste for the deep state.
Is Ramaswamy the future of the Republican party? Maybe. He now is third among Republican candidates, behind only Trump and DeSantis. If he does well in the first Republican debate (and even if he does not), he could soon eclipse DeSantis and become the frontrunner to replace Trump should Trump’s legal problems overwhelm him. That is why it is important to take Ramaswamy seriously.
The combination of a young, smooth-talking candidate who is an indisputable outsider who embraces Trumpism could result in a groundswell of support for Ramaswamy much like the one that Barack Obama experienced in 2008.
Donald Trump is not the only threat to democracy running for president in 2024. With the emergence of Ramaswamy, Trump may not even be the worst.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, and other subjects.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Mr. Dean is right.
Vivek Ramaswamy is super smart. He is remarkably experienced and incredibly well informed. And he is extremely articulate in an open and fearless way that is charming, positive and optimistic about America.
Finally, he tells you in great detail his vision for America, far beyond anyone else running for President
Vivek Ramaswamy is the GOP’s new Ronald Reagan.
To see why, click here and spend an hour and 40 minutes getting to know him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX9B5tnj-xI
Paul Rybon says
Thank you Reed. A lot of the attributes that you mention, panned by Mr Dean I find refreshing too.
John Dean says
Respectfully, you might want to re-read the article. Also, I know a bit about Ronald Reagan and respected him. Believe me, Ramaswamy is no Reagan. I also recommend that people read Ramaswamy’s promise to pardon Trump. Did you know that censorship caused January 6, which Ramaswamy apparently thinks was justified. That does not sound to me like Reagan.
Nicolo F. Tartaglia says
100% agree. The indictments of Mr. Trump are completely non-partisan in nature. After all, the January 6th Commission was by far the most rigorous and bipartisan investigative effort of Congress since the Warren Commission. Our legislative branch, led of course by the most principled Democratic Party since Jefferson Davis, ensured that the people were well represented, and thank God for that. I only wondered what took them so long? Perhaps they wanted to give the misguided Republicans time to reflect and repent before the next electoral cycle. In any event, Mr. Dean’s charge that he is a dangerous authoritarian is therefore irrefutable. How else to explain Mr. Ramaswamy’s declaration of a pardon? Read the article! I would not be surprised if he was a Russian shill. The FBI should commence an investigation immediately. Ramasway and his businesses should immediately be subject to audit by the IRS. If he hasn’t done so already, he should release his tax returns to the press. After all, thank goodness for the professional and impartial third estate without whom we’d really be in trouble. Deep state indeed! Just a dog-whistle for MAGA hat Neanderthals. Mr. Dean was also correct in his last article, it is nefarious people like Mr. Ramaswamy who discourage otherwise qualified people like Kamala Harris or Mayor Pete from running for office. Only the courageous, like Chris Christie, who stood up to and never endorsed Mr. Trump, can save the Republican Party now. I’m the meantime, I rest easily at night knowing that at least we have an incorruptible and compassionate leader in the Oval Office, who cares for us all as he does his wayward son. I take refuge in the knowledge that the law is applied equally and that justice is blind. We must protect that from the likes of Ranaswamy at all costs.
Jerry McConnell says
Mr Ramaswamy is just like Mr Dean portrays him: extremely foolish, arrogant, misguided and, most importantly, an incredibly dangerous and terrifying possibility as an elected official. He’ll contrast dramatically with DeSantis, Christie, and especially Trump in the GOP debates because they are not intellectually competent.
In this case let’s hope that the Cristofascist right wing Republican base exercises their anti-Indian American prejudices and keeps this lunatic on the sidelines.
Mike Allison says
Why do you label Mr. Ramaswamy as an “Indian American”, why not just “An American”? He was born in the United States and raised by parents who came to this Country legally. The promise of the United State is Opportunity, based on merit not entitlement or woke equity. He worked hard to achieve success and wealth and now he he wants to be President of the United States, I say good for him! That’s a problem with the Democrats, they have to label everybody. We must become the melting pot that we are and just be Americans. But I fear the Democrats don’t want that because they fear losing power.
If this country is to continue to be a Representative Republic we’re going to have to get rid of the corrupt Bidens, reform the corrupt Justice Department, and get rid of the money sucking Department of Education or at the very least restructure it. Both the House and Senate have to have term limit, if term limits are good President, why not Senators & Representatives? We need to get rid of the woakism in our military, strengthen it. Until that happen recruiting for the military will continue to be difficult.
The bottom line is if the leadership of the Country doesn’t change, I fear the Great Experiment will be over.
John Dean says
Thank you for your comment. Your point is well-taken. Mr. Ramaswamy is an American. I thought about not including any reference to his ethnic background, but thought it was relevant given the skepticism of some suggesting Republicans will never vote for a person of color.
John Dean says
Thanks for reading the piece and for your comment. As you might have guessed, I disagree with most of your comments.
I think we will see a change in leadership in the 2024 election, but the Great Experiment will be over if a president is elected who doesn’t believe in democracy or doesn’t value the balance of power inherent in having a Congress. Trump or Ramaswamy would kill the Great Experiment, in my view.
Also, “wokeism” is not spelled “woakism.” If you were woke, you’d know that.
Jerry McConnell says
Mr Allison, please enlighten us about the “Great Experiment “? When did it start and how are we doing so far? If we fail, what then?
Is the Justice Department corrupt and evil because they are overwhelmed investigating and charging Republican leaders and politicians for their criminal behavior?
If you abolish the Department of Education, how will the country manage the educational system in this country?
Turn it over to some activist, semi-literate parents to set curriculums and standards ?
And admit it —the reason folks like you don’t like our government today is because it’s not guided by the former 75 I Q president, or someone worse than him.
Nicolo F. Tartaglia says
Whilst some might see your reference to “semi-literate parents” as offensively elitist, I get what you really meant. Giving parents agency over the education of their own children is a terrible idea. There is plenty of evidence of that, such as the abject failure of charter schools everywhere. I say give them school choice and teach them all a well deserved lesson! It wont be long before parents see the error of their ways and come crawling back. Support for the teachers unions will skyrocket! After all, look at the success of the school systems in Philadelphia and Baltimore. Veritable bargains for the tax-payers at $22K and $17K annually per student respectively. Who would not be proud of those test scores??? (Thankfully, unlike the wastelands of Texas and Florida, they did have had the benefit of benevolent one-party rule for half a century.)
Also, I know Joe might seem confused and a mumble his words from time to time, but he clearly has an IQ above 75. Not that people with IQs below 100 or have mental impairments should be maligned. (Which I know you didn’t mean to do that either.) After all, the media’s treatment of John Fetterman was despicable. If he was a Republican, we all know how he would have been handled. Clear double standard.
Jerry McConnell says
I was referring to the “former president “, not Joe. Joe is showing his age but is clearly a better CEO than the Orange Dunce.
And, referring to people who you consider to be problematic as having a low I Q is unfair to those who are not bad people. Many folks with a high level of intelligence betray their abilities by failing to use it at critical times —as demonstrated by Congress repeatedly.
Nicolo F. Tartaglia says
Apologies! I actually understood you. In fact, I was agreeing with you. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. My point was Jpe’s IQ is definitely above 75…unlike the Orange Menace. You would need it to be in order to just keep track of all those grandkids. I am not sure if it is six, or seven or eight…but, either way, I don’t know how he heck does it! He must keep it on a notecard somewhere.
“And referring to people who you consider to be problematic as having a low I Q is unfair to those who are not bad people” was exactly my point about Fetterman. Gotta say, I genuinely feel bad for him.
Jan Bohn says
Your comments strike me as distressing – they seem to focus on Ramaswamy’s background rather than what he stands for. Are Republicans ready to support an Indian American candidate? Why the hell not? You concede he’s impressive but then say he’s dangerous without giving reason except that he might win. I have no dog in this fight but you haven’t convinced me of anything except to take a closer look.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. In it, I noted that Ramaswamy proposes doing away with the Department of Education, the Federal Regulatory Commission, and other agencies by executive fiat. That is why I fear his possible election.
Also, if you read the Wall Street Journal for today, August 3, you will see an editorial discussing Ramaswamy’s doubts about 9/11. I am also troubled by his promise to pardon Donald Trump and Ramaswamy’s claim that “censorship” is what caused the January 6 Trump insurrection.
In any case, thank you for reading the piece.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece.
My fear is not that Republicans will support an Indian American candidate, but one particular Indian American (Mr. Ramaswamy) who promises to pardon Trump (no need to wait to see the outcome of the trial), abolish federal agencies by “executive fiat,” and claims the January 6, 2021 insurrection was caused by “censorship.”
If you take a closer look at Ramaswamy, you will find confirmation of these things and, hopefully, other reasons not to support Ramaswamy.
In any case, thank you for reading the piece.
Jerry McConnell says
Anyone who has read and understands what Ramaswamy has said he would do as president would be horrified as the prospect of him being elected. Not because he’s Indian American but simply because he’s detached from reality and an anarchist.
Nicolo F. Tartaglia says
I also agree with Mr. Dean. Only a hardcore (elected) authoritarian would seek to disassemble the (unelected) deep state. And while we’re at it, he has some nerve questioning the veracity of information we receive from the government. I mean, it’s not like we’ve ever been told something that’s blatantly untrue. These are benevolent civil servants after all, practically canonized saints. They have an unblemished reputation for honesty. Anyone who questions the value of the Department of Education after the awesome job they did during COVID is probably peddling Russian disinformation. I’m sure there’s more than a few former intelligence officials who would agree with that. Total threat to Democracy. Danger ahead indeed. No question. C’mon man!!!!
John Dean says
I would encourage you to learn more about Mr. Ramaswamy. In addition to the absurd suggestion that somehow the January 6 attack on the Capitol was caused by “censorship” and his promise to pardon Donald Trump even before his trials, he also is questioning the 9/11 attacks.
I do not want anyone abolishing federal departments by “executive fiat.” It sounds as though Mr. Ramaswamy might be comfortable abolishing Congress as well.
Nicolo F. Tartaglia says
Thank you for the encouragement, Sir. I do hope to learn more about him. I’m sure the unbiased press will give him fair treatment. After all, without them how would I have known that a sitting president referred to white supremacists and neo-Nazi’s as “fine people”? Before then I only considered Trump to be a buffoon. Without the context they were able to provide, I don’t think I would have had the facilities to conclude he was a racist on my own. Can’t believe half the Americans voted for him. If there’s any further evidence needed to conclude America is a deeply racist country, I am not sure what it is. I am glad it inspired Joe to run though.
And again, I agree with you. His questioning of what we were told about the 9/11 attacks is unacceptable. First of all, it’s obvious that the incompetence of the Bush administration was the major factor. Not to mention anyone questioning the official narrative of our government is a quack of the highest order. Look at all the COVID disinformation! Thank goodness big tech censored Dr. Battacharia over Dr. Fauci. If the Great Barrington Declaration were allowed to promulgate we would still be facing the scourges of the Pandemic of the Unvaccinated no doubt. Every educated person knows Science is a settled matter since Al Gore declared the debate over in 2000!
You have convinced me, Sir! Your logic is infallible. It is a straight line from pardoning Trump to abolishing Congress. Even a first year law student at Trump University would see that. Why do you even leave room yo doubt his intentions?
Perhaps we need to act in advance to save Democracy as the Progressive wing of the Democratic Party suggests. We need to add DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and USVI as states first. (Might be a handy occasion to redesign the flag anyway.) Once accomplished, a few more Supreme Court justices could balance out the treasonous rouges who found their way onto the bench under the illegitimate rule of Donald Trump.
Yes indeed! He wouldn’t dare try abolishing Congress by executive fiat after that. What does he think he has? A phone and a pen or something?
God bless, right minded people like you sir! Again, thank you for the encouragement!
Holly Wright says
Thank you for your measured alert on Ramaswamy. Another self-funded vanity project by a billionaire with time on his hands. I would add some other points. When you get past his platitudes, he flails around to satisfy the various constituencies of the right with some crazy policy proposals and analysis. For the NRA he’ll eliminate the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, arming all households in Taiwan to protect themselves against China and the preposterous idea that the Jim Crow south only existed because Blacks didn’t arm themselves. He would have preferred a bloodbath. For the anti-abortionists, it’s I’m for the 6 week abortion ban, won’t support a nationwide ban, but won’t veto one either so it’s the same thing. Definitely a person worth writing about. Thank you again.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Our fearless reporter opines that:
“The Ramaswamy’s campaign is about the evils of “wokeism,” which he proclaims is destroying America. He champions merit over entitlement and is ready to condemn anyone he views as disagreeing with him.”
According to Amazon his book Woke Inc., Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam, is a “# 1 Best Seller in Business Ethics, with a five star rating (4.7) by some 3,500 readers to date.
Read the book and decide for yourself.
As to my own opinion: Americans who champion entitlement over merit have not learned the many painful lessons of 19th and 20th century Marxism. It never works. And it never fails to create in the minds of its victims false illusions of promised utopia based an lies that only result in misery on a massive scale.
In short:
Entitlement over merit eviscerates free societies. It crushes human life and our striving for it. And it replaces our life of freedom, independence, meaning and responsibility with hopeless dependency.
Why?
Redistribution of wealth, rights and privileges by race, class, or ethic origin by state mandated entitlement is particularly odorous. It always results in a tyrannical government run by a few thugs who control all the levers of power in an artificial levitation state of their own design and making that must control and erase the rights its citizens by deceit, lies, death and terror, if it is to remain in power.
Reed Fawell 3 says
“… a few thugs who control all the levers of power in an artificial levitation state of their own design and making that must control and erase the rights its citizens by deceit, lies, death and terror, if it is to remain in power.”
Ha, Ha – the AI auto spell correct yet again fooled this old dyslexic fool. Or maybe not – perhaps the Entitlement over Merit Regime is a Levitation and Leviathan State at one and the same time.
Karen Simpson says
For anyone who may think President Trump or a candidate with similar views on policy is the ‘biggest threat to democracy’ I will ask you the following. Are you above being manipulated by your news sources? Do you still believe the Russian collusion hoax put into motion by Hillary Clinton? Do you believe that a sitting president would call neo nazis and white supremists ‘very fine people’? Do you believe that same president would tell citizens to ‘drink bleach’ during a pandemic. Do you believe that our intelligence agencies actually thought Hunter’s laptop from hell was Russian disinformation? Do you believe that our current president had no knowledge of his son’s foreign dealings? Perhaps you do. Because otherwise you would be at risk of being labeled an uneducated, racist conspiracy theorist. Fear, including the fear of one’s social standing is the most powerful of all persuasion tactics. For those who don’t yet see it this is how it works.
The hoax begins with stories from anonymous sources. The seed is planted. Then some kind of legal action ensues that confirms the anonymous sources. The next step is the amplification – the what ifs. For example, what if Trump has nuclear documents. From there, we go to Schiff in a SCIF. The Left will allow people to read the documents in a SCIF. In this case, Adam Schiff is the likely choice to get the microphone. He will cherry-pick what comes out and lie about it. This gets dragged out as long as possible and at the end, Democrats do not admit the whole thing was a hoax and their constituents never learn the truth. Democrat media does that regularly. The pattern works for everyone they target, not just Donald Trump.
You’re welcome.
John Dean says
I’m not sure how to respond to your response. Are you aware that there is a video of President Trump calling neo-nazis “very fine people.” You may not have seen it, so here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmaZR8E12bs.
Karen Simpson says
Thank you for posting the video. Please watch again starting from the 1m55sec mark. Trump clearly says he was talking about very fine people on both sides of the protest regarding removing the statue. NOT the neo Nazis and the white supremacists. And that they should be condemned totally. You can also read the transcript. And yet the press and the democrats have repeated this lie so many times that people have a hard time seeing the truth!
Reed Fawell 3 says
Yes, I agree with Karen Simpson concerning the massive power of the cancel and woke culture to shame and intimidate. And, of course, many of our wokester warriors are typically “Useful Idiots” defined as types who “propagandize for a cause—particularly a bad cause originating from a devious, ruthless source—without fully comprehending the cause’s goals, and who is cynically being used by the cause’s leaders.” See Wikipedia.
Of course, another term coined by the longshoreman social philosopher Eric Hoffer for these sorts are the “True Believers.”
True Believer & Useful Idiot types come in all disguises – famous Harvard Professors, novelists, and New York Times Journalists, often among them.
Reed Fawell 3 says
I fear these are the times that try men’s souls.
To those of us here weary from the hysteria and name calling, I suggest we conduct a re-education program held monthly at Easton’s Free Library for the benefit of The Talbot Spy’s political thought leaders.
We can start our re-educating by instruction on why this post’s first sentence is not a hanging offense. Or good cause even for smear, cancellation, fine, or imprisonment.
WPBullock says
How is a candidate that may be popular enough to win a fair election a threat to democracy? Perhaps he is a threat to the kingdom of all-encompassing and ever-more-invasive government,
Reed Fawell says
Very well said, Mr Bullock.
Reed Fawell 3 says
Unfortunately, I believe there is a great deal of true in this article America is a Zombie State:
https://unherd.com/2023/08/america-is-now-a-zombie-state/
Reed Fawell 3 says
Yet again, Mr. Dean is proven right about “Danger Ahead,” Watch out for Mr. Vivek Ramaswamy.
Here is Vivek’s letter to editor in today’s Wall Street Journal:
“Last week, shortly after a podcaster asked me if 9/11 was an “inside job or exactly as the government tells us,” I said that I don’t believe everything the government has told us about that day. For this I was promptly lambasted by a bipartisan chorus, including a “deeply offended” former Vice President Mike Pence and an indignant Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.). These pages mocked me and expressed shock: “Did the presidential candidate really say that about 9/11?” (“Ramaswamy Dives Into Swamp Land,” Review & Outlook, Aug. 3).
Here are the facts: The FBI quietly declassified documents in 2021 that definitively reveal the government lied to the public about Saudi Arabia’s involvement in 9/11.
Omar al-Bayoumi, a 42-year-old so-called “graduate student,” housed and extensively supported the first two al Qaeda hijackers after they landed in Los Angeles in January 2000. Mr. Bayoumi claimed to have met the two terrorists entirely by chance at the airport. This strained credulity, but both the 9/11 Commission and the FBI fully backed Mr. Bayoumi’s account.
More than 20 years later, the FBI changed its story. In documents declassified last year, the bureau affirmed that Mr. Bayoumi was an agent of the Saudi intelligence service.
This is part of a pervasive pattern of government dishonesty—about celebrity soldier Pat Tillman’s death in Afghanistan, the origin of Covid-19, knowledge about UAPs, Hunter Biden’s dealings and so on—with a complicit media that accepts the prevailing narrative without question.
The reason the people don’t trust the government is that the government doesn’t trust the people with the truth. And yes, a Republican candidate for U.S. president really just said that.
Vivek Ramaswamy”