As his polling numbers climb nationally, Ohio businessman and anti-woke crusader Vivek Ramaswamy’s political stock appears to be rising in South Carolina, as well.
The youngest GOP candidate in the field “enjoyed another well-received visit to the Palmetto State,” one of the first presidential nominating states, according to the latest FitsNews Palmetto Political Stock Index.
South Carolina’s favorite daughter Nikki Haley, however, didn’t fare so well on the weekly index, her stock falling amid a woke Walt Disney-friendly email and a plan-less “major speech” on abortion.
The index, compiled weekly by FitsNews founding editor Will Folks and political columnist Mark Powell, tracked Ramaswamy’s “well-received” visit to the Palmetto State last week — including the “standing ovation he got from attendees at the Richland County GOP convention” Thursday night.
“This Harvard/ Yale-educated entrepreneur remains a long shot presidential candidate, but he is clearly not lacking in gravitas – or the ability to convey a resounding message to the Republican faithful,” the index declares, listing Ramaswamy’s political stock as rising.
Previously, the Palmetto Political Stock Index noted Ramaswamy, who has made a fortune in the biotech sector, is “more than just another political gadfly indulging in a vanity campaign” and that his “courageous confronting of ‘woke-ism’” was building buzz in GOP circles.
Indeed.
Ramaswamy, who launched his long-odds bid for the White House in February, has seen his poll numbers rise from flat line to a fifth-place position among Republican presidential contenders — right behind fellow Indian-American, Nikki Haley.
He’s building name recognition in a crowded GOP candidate field dominated by Donald Trump. His recent debate with ex-CNN host Don Lemon helped put the exclamation point on Lemon’s departure from the left-leaning cable news network. Ramaswamy made national headlines again on Sunday, this time clashing with Democratic Party apologist Chuck Todd on whether gender is binary and the legislative battles over sex-reassignment surgery for children.
“There isn’t a state in this union that allows you to smoke an addictive cigarette before the age of 18, that allows you to get a tattoo before the age of 18. That’s a body-altering change that a kid may later regret in life,” Ramaswamy said on “Meet the Press.”
“So, I think it is perfectly reasonable to say that if you’re after 18 years old, you’re free to decide whatever you want to do. That’s what it means to live in a free country,” Ramaswamy added. “But below the age of 18, I think it’s perfectly legitimate to say that we won’t allow genital mutilation or chemical castration through puberty blockers.”
The Palmetto Political Stock Index mused, “Unlike the ‘other’ Indian-American candidate in this race, [Ramaswamy] eschews identity politics rather than relying on it as a crutch – which is commendable.”
Speaking of the former South Carolina governor, the Palmetto index asserts Haley is the leading citizen of “Gaffesville.” “Have it both ways Haley,” as the writers note, “took some big lumps as a result of her latest contortions.” They noted the juicing of campaign finance numbers from Haley’s campaign, which reported $11 million in contributions during the first quarter of the year when it was more like $8.3 million. Nothing to sneeze at, but nothing to fib about, either.
“Most damaging for Haley, though, was a tweet in which she tried to be too clever by half —and wound up biting herself on the backside,” the Palmetto Index opines. “As woke corporate giant Disney was filing a lawsuit against governor Ron DeSantis in Florida, Haley rolled out the red carpet for the House of Mouse – volunteering South Carolina as a new destination for its 70,000 jobs (while – oddly – attempting to simultaneously burnish the state’s anti-woke credentials). That’s like inviting Pope Francis to relocate the Vatican – but telling him to ‘just leave the religious stuff in Rome.’ Haley garnished her blunder with a dig at DeSantis that she (and nobody except perhaps Donald Trump) found funny.”
The index, meanwhile, sees a sleeping lion waking up in DeSantis. In a campaign that “seemed almost comatose” as DeSantis prepares to make his run official, there are encouraging signs of life.
Those who heard DeSantis speak in the Lowcountry and Upstate last week insist they remain “fired up” and ready to take on Trump, according to the politician tracker. Accordingly, DeSantis’ stock is slightly higher this week.
Trump’s stock, however, is “holding,” according to the index.
“Is Trump crazy? Or crazy like a fox? We’ll find out this summer,” states the report, referring to the former president’s threat that he’ll likely skip the GOP presidential debates.
The first GOP debate is scheduled for August in Milwaukee, WI, which, not so coincidentally – is the city hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention.
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Vivek Ramaswamy in Greenville” by Vivek Ramaswamy.
