While former President Donald Trump may have been absent from Wednesday evening’s Republican primary debates, Vivek Ramaswamy stepped in to fill his spot as the outsider with non-traditional Republican views. If nothing else, the newcomer certainly helped to liven up the evening.
The Exuberance of Youth
The 38-year-old is the youngest candidate to ever run for a spot on the Republican ticket, contradicting the idea that conservatives are old, stodgy, and out of step with the times.
Most, including the younger candidates in the party such as Nikki Haley, see their youth as an asset, at least relative to the two top contenders for the presidency whose age hazardously edges 80, and none so much as Ramaswamy.
In the days leading up to the debate, he posted videos of his rigorous workouts to Twitter. One demonstrated his athletic prowess as he smashed balls across the net with a wicked forehand, the other doing successive burpees with his favorite “sparring’ partner, his wife, both of which he described as “debate prep.”
However, Mike Pence took more than a couple of shots, if not at Ramaswamy’s age directly, then at his inexperience. One of the clips that is bound to be replayed over and over again on social media (once they are allowed to be repurposed) is Pence telling the newbie that the top position in the country is not a time for “on-the-job training.” The former VP declared to the audience, “We don’t need to bring in a rookie.”
Opponents Say Vivek Ramaswamy Lacks Experience
Many of the rest of the Republican candidates joined Pence to bully Ramaswamy on his inexperience in politics, particularly in the realm of foreign policy. His views, particularly on Ukraine, differ wildly from the more traditional neo-con positions expressed on the stage.
Nikki Haley shouted, “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.”
Former governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie took his shot saying, “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like Chat GPT standing up here.”
Ramaswamy contested, suggesting his lack of political experience is exactly what makes him a strong candidate, just like Trump. He consistently repeats “I am not a politician,” playing to the sentiments of those who were more than enthusiastic about Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.”
In bold statements, he decried his opponents on stage as being “bought and paid for” and “super PAC puppets.”
The son of Indian immigrants, Ramaswamy even leaned a little left in proclaiming that America needs to “celebrate its diversity.”
Vivek reiterated his point that he is “not a politician” to Sean Hannity in a post-debate interview.
Hannity had to break the news to him. “I hate to tell you, you’re now officially a politician.”
Vivek Ramaswamy Brings the Heat … and the Joy
Vivek (pronounced like cake, as he lightheartedly keeps reminding people) held his own against some very seasoned veterans, but just as important, the political outsider brought one thing that is sorely missing from the Republican party – joy. He definitely looked as if he was having fun. His exuberance continued straight on into his post-debate interview where Hannity took notice.
“You have a warm, enticing personality, you smile. Politicians don’t smile enough. They need to smile more.”
This is the same guy who demonstrated his rapping skills at the Iowa State Fair last week, busting out in Eminem’s Lose Yourself in front of a crowd.
Vivek carries the same charisma that Donald Trump brought in 2016 that eventually won him the election and crowds seem to be enjoying his high energy, positive approach.
One Twitter user commented, “When will we start taking Vivek seriously? I’m becoming a fan! His positivity is infectious and has the potential to inspire real change.”
Many seem to agree. According to a Daily Mail poll, Ramaswamy came out on top with 28 percent of viewers saying he had the best performance of the night.
One thing is for sure, there will be many less than dull moments in the coming months with Vivek in the race, and this country is better off for it.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
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