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Is Vivek Ramaswamy Trump 2.0 ?
Epoch Times ^ | 4.16.2023 | Roger Simon

Posted on 04/16/2023 6:22:49 PM PDT by libh8er

NORTH CONWAY. N.H.—Vivek Ramaswamy isn’t making much of a dent in the polls yet, but judging from the audience reaction at a packed Masonic lodge in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, it won’t be long.

Everyone was paying close attention. There was no sense in the room of skepticism over why this 37-year-old guy—out of nowhere and standing there with his doctor wife—had the temerity to run for president. They got it. He had done his homework and then some.

Several people during the lengthy question session prefaced theirs with “I voted for Trump but I’m going to vote for you.” Others nodded in agreement.

This was an audience of what might be called the political version of tech’s “early adopters,” the kind of folks that turn out for candidates 18 months before an election when others are watching sports or the latest reality show. They tend to be well-informed and are the ones who tell their friends what to think when the time comes.

A number of such people live in the early caucus and primary states—Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina—where they have seen this before and often have a “show me” attitude. Of these, the New Hampshirites seem to have the strongest libertarian streak endemic to Northern New England.

Some demonstrated this on that Friday night, including a woman who queried the candidate about why we shouldn’t, after all, just get things over with and finally have a national divorce from the liberals and progressives with their stultified views and go our own way, à la John Galt?

This drew an impassioned response from Ramaswamy who, although he understood the woman’s frustration, sees the basis of his candidacy as the opposite of that, kind of a moral crusade for the preservation of our embattled republic and its constitution, something beyond political party. He also sees us as a necessary example of democracy in a world increasingly led by totalitarian China and its allies. The answer could have been mawkish but it was heartfelt and impressive.

After having been with his campaign only a few weeks ago in South Carolina, it was interesting to see Ramaswamy in action. He has already upped his game, speaking with a more polished cadence, less staccato.

As a spontaneous, notes-free speaker about politics, I have rarely seen anyone as fluent (perhaps Bill Clinton, but with less actual content). While some are as, if not more, charismatic, his grasp of the issues and his ability to articulate them fully, which he often does in novel ways, is rather extraordinary.

He doesn’t insult our intelligence, nor engage very heavily in partisan politics, which he almost disdains. As he put it on Twitter: “It’s not R vs. D. It’s not black vs. white. It’s the Great Reset vs. the Great Uprising.”

Whether he or anybody else can defeat this “Reset” that is already all around us and growing every day remains to be seen. Ramaswamy makes no claim he can do it alone. In fact, he said repeatedly at the gathering this could only succeed as a group project for the return to the American values of our Founders. We were all involved in this battle against “woke” corporations who, in collusion with our government, are leading us inevitably to globalist socialism/communism.

That night, he had just returned from delivering an apparently well-received speech in defense of the Second Amendment at an NRA meeting in Indiana, and spoke of it in New Hampshire as well.

An avid tennis player—he was once No. 1 junior in Ohio—who infrequently goes to firing ranges, he doesn’t use sports or hunting as his primary reasons for his staunch support of the amendment. He insists the Second Amendment is the absolutely necessary component to defend the First Amendment, freedom of speech, without which America wouldn’t be America.

He also made a Second Amendment recommendation regarding Taiwan that might at first seem rash, but even on short reflection makes considerable sense. Ramaswamy thinks we should give AR-15s to every citizen of that island nation and teach them how to use them to deter the aggression of the communist Chinese.

Vivek thinks that America is in the midst of an identity crisis, but, as a young civilization in historical terms, has the resilience of a teenager who can work through it. In that sense, his message is optimistic.

The main theme of his campaign has been since its inception the overall necessity of defining America for and to ourselves—who we are and what we want to be—that he feels has been lost in our “woke” culture with its faux religions of climate and transgenderism.

He believes if we solve this basic problem, if we find ourselves again in the tradition of the Founders, the solution to others—the economy, our place in the world, and so forth—will suddenly be a lot simpler and gain a national consensus.

He articulates this in a manner that is similar to Donald Trump’s, but is more precise and detailed, one might even say writerly.

The elephant in the room that night was, of course, Trump, currently battling legal accusations, dubious though they may be, on several fronts. The 45th president tends to take oxygen from rooms even when he is not there.

The question naturally arises where does Ramaswamy fit in this equation? Is he more Trump than Trump? Is he then Trump 2.0, willing, as he says, to take things further and actually emptying the Deep State? He advocates term limits for virtually everyone in Washington.

Or could he end up running with Trump? Anything’s possible.

It’s unlikely that Gov. Ron DeSantis will—there’s already so much bad blood between the two poll leaders.

As for the Republican field in general, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, despite extensive early soundings, has declined to run. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley isn’t generating much interest. Sen. Tim Scott doesn’t appear to have much of a chance, even in his native South Carolina, according to polls. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he’s running, but no one can explain why. And former Vice President Mike Pence still hasn’t jumped in, with a fair number of people urging him not to for his own sake.

As of this writing, I would have to say it’s between Trump (the heavy favorite), DeSantis, and now, coming up on the outside but still with a long way to go, Ramaswamy.

This could make for an interesting discussion on the Republican side as could, all of a sudden and shockingly, the Democratic side with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. throwing his hat in the ring with a formal announcement next week.

I’ll be along for the ride. Next stop with Vivek: Berlin, New Hampshire. More to come.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2024election; anothercontender; asahole; bs; darkerthanthou; democraticpropaganda; doctorwifey; epochslimes; gopestablishment; hindu; holierthanthou; hustler; justexcerptnexttime; kwikeemart; noheisnt; nothanks; notprolife; notthatrogersimon; operator; politico; pollutico; polluticopropaganda; ramasmarmy; ramaswampy; ramaswamy; ramennoodles; ramittome; rogersimon; seveneleven; slickandslim; swamimoolah; tds; tldr; trump; uniparty; vivek; vivekramaswamy; wef; wheelerdealer
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To: DLfromthedesert

I’ll pass until he converts…


61 posted on 04/16/2023 8:28:36 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything)
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To: C210N

I’ve studied Schwab and the WEF for years. It’s not a new subject, actually I was on it when it wasn’t even in most people’s radar- even here on FR.


62 posted on 04/16/2023 8:37:28 PM PDT by HollyB
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To: FarCenter

Some say that to be a natural born citizen, that both of your parents must have been American citizens at the time of your birth.

So the fact that he was born in Cincinnati is irrelevant to to those who believe that. They are questioning the immigration status of his parents.

I do not know the immigration status of his parents.


63 posted on 04/16/2023 8:55:57 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: C210N

Hell, NO!


64 posted on 04/16/2023 9:16:37 PM PDT by miserare ( Impeach Joe Biden!)
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To: libh8er
THe RINOS are getting desperate. DeSantis can't make a dent in Trumps 40 point lead. So now its Vivek !

BUahahhahahaha!

Vivek can't touch this:


65 posted on 04/16/2023 9:17:40 PM PDT by Candor7 ( ( Ask not for whom THE Trump trolls...He trolls for thee!)<img src=""width=500></img>)
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To: C210N

Trump speaks at WEF, so what?


66 posted on 04/16/2023 9:17:55 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: McGruff

Glib is the word, not fluent.


67 posted on 04/16/2023 9:19:56 PM PDT by miserare ( Impeach Joe Biden!)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Some say that to be a natural born citizen, that both of your parents must have been American citizens at the time of your birth.

So the fact that he was born in Cincinnati is irrelevant to to those who believe that. They are questioning the immigration status of his parents.

I do not know the immigration status of his parents.

**************

Unfortunately for people with this line of thinking, the Constitution doesn’t have an immigrant parent section that disqualifies Ramaswamy.

Article II, Section 1, Clause 5:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

“It looks pretty clear to me from a Constitutional perspective that Ramaswamy meets these requirements.”


68 posted on 04/16/2023 9:20:07 PM PDT by unclebankster ( Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: unclebankster
Well, I hope he never shows up on a ballot, I'll vote for the Democrat over him, else skip voting. And that goes with any anchor baby. Otherwise, next will have some terrorist anchor baby someday claiming right to run for president, and willing folks to support them.

And by all reports I've seen, his parents were Indian nationals, not US citizens. He likely had and may still have Indian citizenship.

69 posted on 04/16/2023 9:26:17 PM PDT by Reno89519 (Go Woke, Go Broke. )
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To: Reno89519

I’ll be voting for Trump so his appearance on a ballot is irrelevant for me.
Also, I’m not a fan of dual citizenship.

It was explained to me that it’s like having a mother & a father......”you love them both.”
My sarcastic response was: Why limit yourself? Add a 100 more and make yourself a huge extended global family.

Sometimes divorce is a necessary action.

“Pick a country” is my motto because these globalist marriages aren’t sustainable in the long term.....they’re more like polygamy.


70 posted on 04/16/2023 10:08:20 PM PDT by unclebankster ( Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: DLfromthedesert
I stand corrected. But that doesn’t bother me. I worked with Hindu doctors They were wonderful.

Ramaswamy's Hindu faith doesn't bother me. I'll take him over some of our recent Christian presidents: Biden (Roman Catolic), Obama (United Church of Christ), Clinton (Southern Baptist) and even the Bushes (Episcopalian).

71 posted on 04/16/2023 10:10:54 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Some say that to be a natural born citizen, that both of your parents must have been American citizens at the time of your birth.

That ship has sailed.

72 posted on 04/16/2023 10:13:30 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Reno89519

You would vote for a Democrat over this guy to make a political statement about someone being a natural born citizen?


73 posted on 04/16/2023 10:17:10 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: libh8er

No way.


74 posted on 04/16/2023 10:30:49 PM PDT by EinNYC
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To: DLfromthedesert

wiki


75 posted on 04/16/2023 10:33:42 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: C210N

So is being very smart in business dealings.

Look in wiki


76 posted on 04/16/2023 10:34:46 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: batazoid
Vivek Ramaswamy is not an Art. II, §I, Cl. 5 natural born citizen, as he well knows.

Oh?

He was born in USA, and has all the other requirements.

77 posted on 04/16/2023 10:35:46 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

...but if you don’t vote for him, you ain’t BLACK!


78 posted on 04/16/2023 10:36:41 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Some say... all kinds of things.

But what does the LAW say??

79 posted on 04/16/2023 10:38:29 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: unclebankster

How DARE you use a defining document!


80 posted on 04/16/2023 10:39:21 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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