Vivek Ramaswamy Profile
What’s his Endgame?
Vivek Ramaswamy‘s swift rise in the 2024 American presidential campaign comes both unexpectedly and to the surprise of many. What once may have been seen as a long shot is now gaining traction, though it will never reach the fervor pitch Trump‘s popularity maintains over the Republican Party. Part of his appeal that got him to the forefront of everybody‘s attention is his seemingly charming exterior and honest backstory, all of which have been especially inviting for the conservative sides of American politics. Since his announcement for candidacy, Ramaswamy has frequently appeared on many podcasts, news channels, and media outlets. He is everywhere in politics right now. However, underneath all this glamor and pizazz is a calculating mind who sees winning the election as another achievement to add to his record.
To start with, a great deal of Vivek Ramaswamy‘s support comes from admiration for his success with his pharmaceutical company, Roivant Sciences. Since starting this company, Ramaswamy has achieved great financial success, success which must make him all the more of an attractive candidate option for conservatives. Nonetheless, despite his success, there is something to be said for the way in which he gained his wealth. The American health system is deeply flawed, which Ramaswamy seems to know and has capitalized off of; And when he knew his Alzheimer’s drug would fail, he sold his shares before his company’s share prices plummeted in order to avoid losses. Though he purports to want to use the drugs his company develops in order to help people, Vivek Ramaswamy has made millions of dollars from his company. So is it not deeply hypocritical and morally questionable to make so much profit off of developing and selling drugs/medicines to those who need it?
In spite of that, Ramaswamy‘s past business ventures should not be what we are most worried about. Throughout his presidential campaign, Ramaswsamy has made various statements that conflict with what he has previously said, such as his views regarding Trump. Presently, he has promised to pardon Trump if elected though he has previously denounced Trump’s actions and involvement in the January 6th riot. The message this seems to be sending out is that he is willing to take advantage of a voter base that he knows will support him if he says what they want to hear. Much of what Ramaswamy says do not appear to be due to any real convictions. Rather, he is saying this only because he knows it will win him the votes he wants. One example of this is his statement about Christianity, where he recognizes that although he is a Hindu, he shares the same values as Christians. Even more examples are his views on gender, racism, and other provocative themes that he knows will be sure to gain attention. All this seems to be an attempt to win over conservative Christians, his primary supporter base. This strategy is quite reminiscent of Trump‘s strategies, who in an attempt to retain power, spread lies about the stolen election and corrupt politicians because he knew that his supporters would want to hear this.
Furthermore, Vivek Ramaswamy‘s ideas on foreign policy come across as incredibly American centric, which aligns him even more with Trump and the “America First” sentiment. In one statement, Ramaswamy referred to the war between Ukraine and Russia as “two thugs sorting out differences in Eastern Europe.” Such ignorance for anyone is unsavory, let alone a presidential candidate who is supposed to be America’s representative to the whole world, with the U.S. being one of the world’s largest national economies and holding considerable influence. Though Ramaswamy argues that his inexperience would not at all be detrimental to his bid for candidacy, it is apparent to see how false this claim is, especially as he believes that he could somehow convince Putin to stop the war (from his interview with MSNBC).
Having said all that, there is no denying Vivek Ramaswamy’s shrewdness and ability to gather so much traction in such a short amount, having risen out of almost obscurity. One should not underestimate the potential Ramaswamy has to increase his influence and accumulate even more support. In an era of Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy has managed to play on a voter base in a deeply polarized America in order to further his own personal agenda and gain what people like him always want more of: money, power, and influence.
