Being from a different faith tradition is a problem. I was in a pretty conservative evangelical church when Romney was running, and him being Mormon was a problem. Though somehow Obama coming from a mainline black church tradition was more of a problem. They could at least appreciate the strong Mormon family values that Romney embodied and they could wish their own leaders were as pious as he was. Obama, meanwhile, while theologically closer to them, was suspected of believing that other faiths (like Islam) could also lead you to salvation, or that his belief in God was not in the literal God of the Bible but an ephemeral divinity that he happened to acknowledge with Christian language. Along comes Trump, who has no conversion experience story, never attends church, is Biblically illiterate, and doesn't accept that he's a sinner in need of salvation, and he gets a pass as a 'baby Christian.' The letter next to the name has a lot to do with it. If you're motivated to ally with a politician, you give him every benefit of the doubt when it comes to judging his faith. When you're opposed, you assume the worst. Conservatives like Ramaswamy for some reason. So, they'll say stuff like, yeah his heritage is Hindu but he went to a Catholic school and he probably doesn't believe that stuff literally. Maybe they'll start quoting CS Lewis for him: "We do know that no person can be saved except through Christ. We do not know that only those who know Him can be saved by Him." I think if Ramaswamy used a little more foresight and had a conversion experience in 2022 (where maybe God told him he should be president too), and he'd been attending an SBC church every Sunday and going to Bible study every Wednesday since, he wouldn't have this problem at all. Evangelicals would swoon every time he regurgitated a piece of Scripture (which I'm sure he could do more competently than Trump).
Just an FYI about the catholic school thing, it is extremely common for South Indian families to send their children to Catholic schools. I think my most of my family in India has attended Catholic schools and they're all devout Hindus. My mom had to attend mass once a month at school and can still recite passages from the bible but she's a very observant Hindu. In a lot of communities in Southern India, Catholic run schools tend to be perceived as having higher educational standards. Consequently, South Indian immigrants are more likely to send their kids to Catholic schools in the US (regardless of how religious they are at home).
I don't think it's an issue now because he hasn't incurred the wrath of trump with a dumbass nickname but the minute he goes on the attack or says something wrong the maga base will do a 180 and religion will become an issue...............you think a redneck, racist will "allow" a president to be anything other than a god-fearing Christian? Remember when the gop used to not say the quiet part out loud, well now they shout it from the mountaintop and that would not be pretty. I know absolutely nothing about Hinduism. but what would happen if viv were to win, would he not put his hand on the bible to be sworn in? What about everything that says "in GOD we trust" or even the pledge of allegiance ..............I am sure he wouldn't do anything with it, but we would be in uncharted territory.
I went to Catholic school for awhile too. My family isn't South Indian nor religious. It just happened to be a school in the neighborhood that my parents thought might be good. All though maybe Catholic school is why I play Irish music and get along with the Irish so well.
It ties into conspiracy theories. Unfortunately right now, for a Republican at the national level to be viable, they have to court conspiracy theorists and other people that traditionally were apolitical but now are voting and typically (but not always) Republican.... because it is part of the coalition that Trump cobbled together to win.
I am so tired of conspiracy "theories", Viv and RFK would be a good team, there blending into the same person with Viv being the dynamic speaker and RFK being.....................well, RFK. I get not trusting the government but these constant "theories" with no evidence just gets exhausting......I have to ask myself; does he really believe that or is he playing to the base who live in conspiracy theories. When he says he speaks truth, rooted in facts (which is catchy) that's just not true, theories are not facts, in fact there just the opposite but it's a good sound bite I guess.
I haven’t followed Ramaswamy much and no little about him previously but given that he had criticized Trump before I think his current views are pandering. I think he is probably like JD Vance someone who is capable and intelligent and recognizes how silly and even dangerous MAGA is but is willing to sell out for power.
As of now, if I had a vote, I would be undecided between the two. Vivek is smarter and more quick-witted, I think. DeSantis is more the typical establishment candidate. Either one of them would be a huge improvement over orange man and geriatric patient.
He isn't stupid - but he is a bit of a troll. There is a small group of people in this world that will light a fire - just to watch the reaction of people when something burns. He is an exceptional student, went to Harvard and Yale and was already a multi-millionaire by the time he graduated under-grad. He is in his mid 30's now and is worth a billion dollars and according to people that know him - would only work an hour or two at the most each day. He has a huge ego, and who can blame him - he has been successful at everything he has done..... but he also likes to poke at things like a child poking an insect ...... too bad, great story, great public speaker, dynamic - but I don't think he takes anything serious anymore. It is too bad because the US could use some innovative governmental leadership - just not a troll.
Nothing about that suggests he would even be a mediocre president or that he is even innovative in a real sense.
When he first came on the scene, I really wanted to like him (new blood) but the conspiracy theories put him in the same orbit as RFK...........I am also not a fan of the old, "insert conspiracy theory here, then when your asked about it, you answer, well, I am just asking questions" At least RFK will come up with a complete BS lie Excellent public speaker, very charismatic and successful...............so kudos on that my man
Sounds like this guy is a professional troll. Cant blame him. This will be profitable for him long term.
I feel like this is the case of American politics for a while even before age of the internet. Politicians used to and still can just shout about how evil communism is and how America being infiltrated by them and boom you got a American politician going places. Ronald Reagan was a soundbite president. Dude had zero ability to discuss policy with nuance. He was essentially an actor.
