The next presidential election in America will be held in November 2024. The Democratic Party a not very popular Joe Biden is running and Donald Trump is facing 641 years in prison. In light of this, however we look at it, anyone within the Republican Party other than Trump has a realistic chance of running for the 47th US presidency.
For a long time, it seemed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would be the main challenger to Donald Trump and then maybe Joe Biden. The politician produced quite good numbers until he officially started campaigning; was that he was measured head to head with his former mentor. However, DeSantis’ campaign was plagued by technical problems, weak messaging and funding problems from the first momentpractically in the last few weeks they switched to low flight popularity indicators of Florida’s “big gun”. According to the latest numbers, he has almost no chance against Trump.
Last week, there was a very exciting event within the ranks of the Republican Party: the presidential candidates participating in the primary election measured themselves in a public forum, the party’s first presidential debate took place.
During the event, only one person really stood out:
a pharmaceutical and financial business magnate of Indian ancestry, Vivek Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy, 38, until the August 23 debate he was practically completely under the radar, however, he managed to provide such a unique appearance both in his style and in his statements that he clearly entered the center of attention of American voters and media products.
Ramaswamy made taboo-breaking statements during the debate and subsequent press conferences, such as
- called the fight against climate change a lie and took a position in favor of the use of nuclear energy and fossil energy carriers.
- He stated that “Cultural Cold War” takes place in the United States.
- He stated that there are only two social genders, essentially declaring war against LGBTQ movements.
- He sees the need to end aid to Ukraine and even transfer territories to Russia, but the war must be ended. In addition, he would not allow the besieged country into NATO either.
- He announced that he would cut financial aid to Israel (then later backtracked on the statement).
- He would cede Taiwan to China (as soon as America becomes independent from Taiwanese semiconductors).
- He called reverse racism racism (that is, exclusionary manifestations and discrimination against the majority, white society).
- Tseveral times he harshly and personally criticized the other Republican candidates, he also once stated that all his other party members are kept in chains by donors, and only he will be able to represent the real interests of American citizens.
“God is real. There are two genders. Fossil energy sources are necessary for human well-being. Reverse racism is racism. An open border is not a border. Parents decide their children’s education. The traditional family model is the best guide for man. Capitalism lifts us out of poverty. There are three branches of government, not four. The American Constitution guarantees freedom in a way unprecedented in human history. It won us the American Revolution. This will also win us the revolution of 2024″ – these were the politician’s closing statements during the primary election debate.
Because of his tough stance, Ramaswamy was heavily criticized by his own party members, and he did not receive many appreciative comments even from pro-Republican media outlets such as Fox News or the New York Post. Marc Thiessen, a prominent Fox News contributor, called him “criminally stupid” called it the foreign policy statements of the Republican presidential candidate, and the New York Times is a complete one article announced with the title that
Vivek Ramaswamy’s plain stupidity.”
It is more democratic CNN it was significantly more restrained than that, they only wrote a longer article about how Ramaswamy did not, to put it mildly, steal his way into the hearts of his fellow party members.
Although the Republican “establishment” is clearly not a fan of Ramaswamy, his messages resonate spectacularly with voters. He graduated after the first presidential candidate debate polls according to Ramaswamy carried the event,
28% of respondents said the Indian-origin biotech guru came out on top, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slipped to a close second at 27%. Former Vice President Mike Pence was third with 13%.
It also shows that Ramaswamy was a practically completely unknown politician who managed to break into the mainstream during the event. far his most people searched for him by name after the debate.
It is also obvious that Ramaswamy quickly became the favorite of the American far-right due to his disruptive statements. StoneToss, a graphic artist widely known internationally, often conveying racist and anti-Semitic messages, the following with comics responded to the election debate.
— Stonetoss (Comics) August 24, 2023
Despite Ramaswamy’s spectacular outburst, he still has a long way to go to the White House. Ron DeSantis remains the second strongest candidate within the Republican Party, and the biotech mogul’s messages (especially on foreign policy) are quite divisive. Ukraine, Support for Taiwan and Israel, for example, is an issue of indisputable importance among both Republican and Democratic voters, but basically, for example, strict action against abortion did not exactly benefit the Republican Party’s midterm election results.
And in order for someone to become president, he has to convince not only the Republican voters, but primarily the independents and swingers. Most previous elections show that too you cannot be president of the United States with divisive messages.
And for now, Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing the boundaries, to put it mildly.
Cover image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
