Ross: Is Vivek Ramaswamy Trumpier than Trump himself?

There was a lot of tough talk and ruthless takedowns at last night’s Republican debate, but there was a clear crowd favorite, and it was entrepreneur and political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy.

“I think we do need somebody of a different generation to lead this nation forward, we have an opportunity to build a multi-ethnic working-class majority to deliver a landslide,” Ramaswamy said. “And I think I’m the only candidate in this race, young or old, black or white, to bring all of those voters along to deliver a Reagan 1980 revolution. So we’re gonna do it in 2024.”

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He is a graduate of Harvard and Yale, a wealthy former biotech executive worth about $630 million according to Forbes, and having just turned 38, the youngest candidate running for President.

“The real choice we face in this primary is this, ‘Do you want a super PAC puppet? Or do you want a patriot who speaks the truth?’ ‘Do you want incremental reform? Which is what you’re hearing about? Or do you want revolution,'” Ramaswamy said.

He was also the least ambiguous about where he stands. No more affirmative action, no more “woke industrial complex,” no more of this climate change hoax, and a lot more cheap gas.

“I will unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear, reform the [U.S. Federal Reserve], stabilize the U.S. dollar, and go to war,” Ramaswamy said. “The only war that I will declare as U.S. president will be the war on the federal administrative state.”

It was Chris Christie who finally decided it was time to take him down. When Ramaswamy said that Donald Trump was the best president of the 21st century, Christe retorted.

“You make me laugh,” Christie said as he was drowned out by boos.

But the crowd was having none of it. For a moment, I thought were in for another January 6.

“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Christie was finally able to say. “And the last person in one of these debates, who stood in the middle of the stage and said, ‘What’s a skinny guy with an odd last name doing up here,’ was Barack Obama. And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur standing on this stage.”

Oooo– touche! Except, as one online commenter pointed out, that skinny amateur with a funny name won his election and served for two terms.

And it occurred to me that Trump might have screwed up by not being there because he may have cleared the way for someone who is Trumpier than he is and less than half his age.

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