Vivek Ramaswamy Wants To Be The Brown Stephen Miller When He Grows Up

Combative Ramaswamy snaps at CNN's Bash after she calls him out for KKK smear of Black lawmakerhttps://t.co/CdBlqCcUnS

— Raw Story (@RawStory) August 27, 2023

At one point, she asked, '"That is a debate that is based on nonviolent discussion which you just said, she's using rhetoric. There is -- that's one thing, and another thing is to say that she represents and she is a modern version of a KKK, which as you know, was dedicated to the subjugation and violence against black people." 

"How on earth is she a modern Grand Wizard of that kind of an organization?" she pressed. 

"Dana, let's be honest -- let's be intellectually honest and get to the heart of what this debate ought to be about," he fired back. "There is a world view that says that the remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination; that if you're black or brown, you have to have a particular point of view. That's from Ayanna Pressley and Ibram X. Kendi, the people I quoted in my speech." 

"But regardless when you accuse her of being a Grand Wizard of KKK? Can you have that intellectually honest discussion with that kind of rhetoric?" Bash managed to get in. 

"Yes, I can, Dana, because the point I'm highlighting is that even when the people even in good spirit -- we all agree the KKK was a horrible organization that is a toxic stain on our nation's history. So given that we start from that point of agreement, now who actually sounds like that organization today? The people who are calling for more racial discrimination on the basis of color?"

This is a very old, very racist, argument.  But he likes it. He really, really likes it:

The interview escalated when Bash turned to Ramaswamy’s recent event — at which he claimed Pressley spoke “the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK” back in 2019 when she said, “We don’t want any more black faces that don’t want to be a black voice. We don’t want any more brown faces that don’t want to be a brown voice.” 

“You know, I’m sure, the KKK was responsible for more than a century worth of horrific lynchings, rapes, murders of black people,” Bash recounted. “How, in any way, are the views you’re talking about comparable to the views and atrocities committed by the KKK?” 

“What I said is the grand wizards of the KKK would be proud of what they would hear her say,” Ramaswamy answered, “because there’s nothing more racist than saying that your skin color predicts something about the content of your viewpoints or your ideas.” 

“You didn’t just say they would be proud,” Bash retorted. “You said these are the words of the modern grand wizards of the modern KKK.” 

His answer: It is the same spirit — you’re right about that, Dana. I think it is the same spirit to say that I can look at you and based on just your skin color, that I know something about the content of your character, that I know something about the content of the viewpoints that you’re allowed to express. For Ayanna Pressley to tell me because of my skin color I can’t express my views, that is wrong. It is divisive. It is driving hate in this country. This is dividing our country to the breaking point. 

The clash went on as Bash continued to ask Ramaswamy “How on Earth is [Pressley] a modern grand wizard,” of an organization known for oppressing and committing violence against Black people. 

“Let’s be intellectually honest,” Ramaswamy said, prefacing his retort. Bash, though, remained quite skeptical of the presidential candidate’s take. 

“The whole thing about the KKK, it wasn’t just about rhetoric,” Bash said. “They lynched people! They raped people! They murdered people! They burned their homes…” 

“And that was obviously wrong,” he responded. 

“Okay. So if you want to have an intellectual discussion, do you think that maybe comparing her to the grand wizard and the notion of what she said to being a modern leader of the KKK was maybe a step too far? Or do you stand by what you said?” Bash asked.

I think we can safely say he wouldn’t know an intellectual conversation if it but him in the ass. And outreach beyond the GOP base and the even smaller number of racist tech-bros, is going to be a problem.