Virtually unnoticed amid the Donald Trump indictment and the epic food fight between him and the other Republican titan, Governator II Ron DeSantis, something is brewing in the GOP presidential race that might be of special interest to those of like minds with your correspondent.
And in getting to that development, a question: was this commentator a bit hasty in dismissing elsewhere the nervy catapulting into the 2024 presidential contest of young upstart startup artist, anti-woke shareholder activist Vivek Ramaswamy?
In response to this pundit’s public pooh-poohing of Ramaswamy’s candidacy, colleagues and acquaintances pointed out not only his high-profile role as investor David against the woke capital Goliath, but also the now-37-year-old’s success in amassing a fortune reaching the hundreds of millions of dollars at an even more tender age. That money was earned first as a high-wire hedge-fund investor, and later as the innovative founder of a concern that specialized in scooping up pharma companies’ dragging drug candidates and turning the detritus into diamonds. Not bad at all.
But V’s spending doesn’t approach that of Tumultuous Tom Steyer and is a mere rounding error next to Monotone Mike Bloomberg’s $1 billion. Note how far their comparative cash piles got them in the last 1600 Penn sweepstakes.
Now, unlike those two billionaires who got no attention, one aspect of this aspirant’s platform, which has set your correspondent’s head nodding like a bobblehead doll, has more recently revved up his attention meter, even amid the indictment furor and the fireworks between the frontrunners.
This digital-ink-stained wretch has repeatedly ranted against the malevolent, mendacious, murderous mandarins of the modern Middle Kingdom, whose actions create an opening in a classic narrative construct: “Villain, Victim and Vindicator.”
Under this story line, the “Villain” is clearly the ever-more vile Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The “Victim:” all Americans hurt by dastardly deeds, including “systematic trade cheating, purloining of intellectual property, cybertheft and hacking, cheap competition from actual and virtual slave labor … peddling of potent fentanyl, poisonous counterfeit vapes and a long string of other hazardous exports,” “periodic unleashing of worldwide pandemics,” “the resultant hollowing out of our industrial base, trillions in trade deficits, the demise of millions of jobs, and surrender of control of critical products and supply chains.”
And the “Vindicator?” A candidate pledging to “cancel” the CCP – as it has so outrageously managed to isolate and punish opponents in the U.S. business, sports and entertainment communities – by denying China access to our markets, our industry, our technology, our jobs, our money, our college slots. All of all of it.… 100% “decoupling.”
Well, look who has stepped up to volunteer for the “Vindicator” assignment. As follows:
“We’re literally addicted to China. They push fentanyl via cartels across our southern border. They push digital fentanyl via TikTok. Our national debt is basically financial fentanyl. The real Declaration of Independence of the 21st century is from the CCP. Time to do it now.”
And this:
“China’s actually vulnerable now…. From their COVID lockdown policies to even going after business leaders like Jack Ma, they’re now vulnerable. So if this is the moment we actually can use to pull the rug out economically, we can defeat them economically such that we never have to militarily.”
Not to mention this:
“Here’s our secret in defeating the CCP: the best way to avoid having to make a tough sacrifice is actually being willing to make one. China is in a tough spot right now because of Xi’s hubris. The time to decouple is now.”
Hold everything! Stop the presses!
Did this cynical scribe really, truly, actually detect an articulation of the magic word “decouple” in every possible way? In connection with our Communist Overlords? From a presidential candidate?
My oh my … yes! Mr. Ramaswamy once again presents himself as the smartest kid in the class who wants everyone to know he is the smartest kid in the class of presidential candidates.
Well, what if this one potential longshot-presidential candidate ends up standing alone in summoning the courage to have “V” stand not only for “Vivek,” but also for the true “Vindicator” who will, once and for all, cancel the CCP?
By claiming a presidential “lane” on a subject that will resonate with many Americans on both sides of the aisle, might he deserve to advance near to the head of the current class of Commander-in-Chief contestants – i.e., those falling-out Floridians – despite his youth, political inexperience, and style?
And ultimately, maybe even to have that “V” also stand for “Victor?” Maybe if he’s willing to claim the “lanes” no one else wants.
Bob Maistros is president of RPM Executive Communications, Inc., which provides high-level message development, communications strategy and crisis support to firms ranging from the Fortune 500 to tech startups, and he is of counsel at the Alexandria, Va.-based Strategic Action Public Affairs. He was chief writer for the 1984 Reagan re-election campaign and also wrote for Sens. Charles Grassley and Orrin Hatch.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.