Trump and Ramaswamy Show Us How the Worst Get to the Top
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-and-ramaswamy-show-us-how-the-worst-get-to-the-top
The fact that people like yours truly found Ramaswamy repellent during Wednesday night’s debate only proves that we are out-of-touch with the base of today’s GOP.
But at least we’re not alone. There are numerous reasons to dislike Ramaswamy. He’s cocky. He is often wrong, but never uncertain. And he’s a suck-up; he panders to Trump (calling him “the best president of the 21st century” during the debate).
In fairness, some of these criticisms say as much about us as they do about him.
Politicians who have paid their dues are understandably resentful of a rich, young tech-bro line-skipper, besting them.
And to more jaded journalist types covering the primary, Ramaswamy is the quintessential eager beaver who wants to be the teacher's pet. He’s Uriah Heep. He’s Eddie Haskell saying, “Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver.” Sycophantic villains long ago became tropes precisely because audiences spotted and inherently disdained them.
Once you understand (and accept) this reality, it’s easier to make political predictions regarding the GOP. Who wins? It’s almost always the “craziest son of a bitch.” Who wins? The people who have no sense of shame. The people who are willing to kiss your butt—or slit your throat—depending on the circumstances.
In this type of culture, attributes like decency, merit, and consistency become liabilities. Asa Hutchinson is too decent (read boring) to win. But the slick and fast-talking Ramaswamy is perfectly suited to thrive in this “Give us Barabbas!” era.