A fresh voice is edging onto the horizon of 2024, and he seemingly has something to offer all factions of the Republican Party. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur born in Cincinnati, Ohio, is barely old enough to run for the United States Presidency. Still, his vim and vigor are proving difficult to ignore in these early cycle stages. Born to Indian immigrants and a graduate of both Harvard and Yale, Ramaswamy made his entrée to the Iowa political scene with an exploratory visit in January. Now, pundits wonder if he will become the youngest President in United States history and bring a critical infusion of optimistic ingenuity to Pennsylvania Avenue. A full five years younger than Theodore Roosevelt, Ramaswamy represents a new generation of politics and could help shepherd a post-covid America to more prosperous shores of which many have lost sight.
His political experience is, admittedly, non-existent. A traditional requirement perhaps rendered moot by his entrepreneurial predecessor Donald Trump, Ramaswamy approaches the position instead with a business mindset and a nearly hypnotizing vision for national unity. While modern vernacular tends to center on gender or racial identity, Vivek waxes poetically of a shared culture for all Americans regardless of color or creed. He laments a void of ‘American Spirit’ and points to other recently successful political campaigns he claims to have borrowed from his publications. One such work, entitled “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” rails against the modern incarnation of stakeholder capitalism. Instead, Ramaswamy champions a meritocratic future with less bureaucracy and enhanced freedom of speech and political expression.
A product of exceptional education, Ramaswamy has also set his sights on school and curriculum reform, having been particularly adversarial towards Critical Race Theory. Calling the discipline “psychological slavery,” Vivek instead advocates the reintroduction of civics courses in American Public Schools. If Ramaswamy declines to pursue the Presidential nomination, he may channel his early momentum into a Senate race against Sherrod Brown. While party officials would undoubtedly appreciate the baby step, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy claims he is uninterested in the alternate position.
As it stands, Ramaswamy faces an uphill battle for the Republican nomination. However, if he can avoid the inevitable blood bath leading up to the primaries, he would make a formidable opponent, particularly juxtaposed with an aging Joe Biden. Even when compared to the youngest potential Democrat currently whispered for 2024, Pete Buttigieg, Ramaswamy makes quite the challenger. While Vivek has spent his career conquering the business and philanthropic arenas, Buttigieg’s non-political work experience is murky- and minimal- at best. His most significant hurdle- almost non-existent name recognition- could prove a benefit. Most Presidential candidates come to the podium ready to defend or address existing reputations; Ramaswamy has an opportunity to introduce a fresh vision into which Americans of all affiliations might invest.
How do you feel about Vivek Ramaswamy’s early interest in the 2024 nomination?
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.
