Happy Google Ramaswamy Day!
Dear Wags,
Happy Google Vivek Ramaswamy Day! What have we learned? That politics is never about grimy policy, but the striking of attitudes. The attitude of young Mr. R. neatly aligns with that of many GOP primary voters. But wait, you say: That dude is a fleece-vest-wearing rich man from north of Richmond! Don’t be a ninny, that’s not a thing. Or, it’s not a thing the way you think it is. Partisans are unconvincing in their hatred of elites because they only hate members of elites they disagree with.
There are reasons why everyday Americans, of eclectic beliefs, resent entitled Ivy Leaguers. That’s not what’s at play here. Between kale salads, Ramaswamy, ever the valedictorian, studied what his chosen team loves, and is lobbing it over the net to them. This minute, it attracts young conservatives, podcasters, and possibly donors itchy to move on from Ron DeSantis (though Nikky Haley is the obvious choice for the anybody-but-Trump crowd). None of this is likely to change the big picture. But if you are paying attention in the dead of August, it delivers a wee tingle.
Social media has completed an inversion of our politics, in which politicians crowd-source agendas and then feed them back to the same crowd. The loop is tribal, not coherently ideological. It’s an unholy circle of signaling I hate the same people you do. The practice doesn’t require knowledge or experience, which is dreary. It does insist on a convincing performance, which Ramaswamy is capable of. Your enemies may call you obnoxious, but others will interpret it as authenticity.
Plus, you’ll grab attention, which can morph into influence. What you must never, ever sound like is a typical politician. That’s an obstacle for the rest of the primary field, save for the guy way out in front, who isn’t really playing. If their first debate gives us clues, nobody challenging Donald Trump to be the Republican presidential nominee (except maybe a suddenly feisty Haley) wants the job. If they did, presumably they’d all make better cases for why.
So, the point is to be noticed and set oneself up for a future opportunity. But conservative leadership in an eventual post-Trump era is unlikely to come from the current crop of Republicans (Democrats may divine parallels here). Even if Trump is sucked into a vortex of legal woe, how plausible is it that a successor would be anointed from this crew? The man’s hardly the torch-passing type.
So, Ramaswamy is positioning himself as a young man in a hurry, while also trying not to look like an upstart who wants to tip the Big Dog out of his easy chair. It’s annoying to his rivals (how long until ugly fliers appear in Iowa mailboxes?). Yet in trying to maul him, they pumped him up. With both parties in a moment of generational stasis and outlets hungry for a fresh storyline, pesky opportunism will be rewarded. Still, it’s a risky game. Trump likely views Ramaswamy as a distraction of the gnatty variety. You’ll know if that changes when he gets out the swatter.
Yours Ever,
Jane Craig
