Vivek Ramaswamy asks why he should vote for Democrat with the ‘least political experience’ in 2004 video

A 2004 video surfaced on social media of an 18-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy questioning why he should vote for a candidate with the “least political experience” in the Democratic primary.

It comes at a time when Ramaswamy, now 38, is facing exactly the same criticism from his Republican chief rivals, who claim he is a “rookie” political outsider who needs more experience before taking on the role of president. .

While the millennial presidential nominee now gives himself a “pat on the back” for the question posed nearly two decades before then-Democratic primary nominee Al Sharpton, he also acknowledged the irony now that the “tables have turned” and he’s on the run . in that same ‘amateur’ position.

During the first Republican presidential primary debate last Wednesday, Ramaswamy endured attacks from all quarters as his seven on-stage competitors labeled his lack of political experience as his campaign’s biggest downfall.

Fox News host Bret Baier asked him why voters should vote for a “clean slate” like him—particularly one who admitted to voting in only two presidential elections before deciding to run for president.

During last Wednesday’s first Republican debate, Ramaswamy (right) came under attack from all sides when career politicians accused him of being the person on stage with the least political experience. Ex-VP Mike Pence (left) called him a ‘rookie’ who needed ‘on-the-job training’

“So first let me answer a question on everyone’s mind tonight: Who the hell is this skinny kid with a funny last name and what the hell is he doing in the middle of this debate phase?” Ramaswamy said. “I’ll tell you I’m not a politician, am I? You’re quite right. I’m an entrepreneur.’

Despite the “funny last name” and political newcomer status, Ramaswamy earned enough support in the polls to be at the center of the debate alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is second only to front-runner Donald Trump.

Former Vice President Mike Pence asked the crowd in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week if they wanted a president who needed “on-the-job training,” as his spokesman told reporters after the debate that Ramaswamy still has his “training wheels.” .

“We don’t need to bring in a rookie,” Pence later said in the Ramaswamy debate. “We don’t need to bring in people with no experience.”

While Pence was Ramaswamy’s biggest critic of the night, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also got in on the action.

“I’ve had enough of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing here tonight,” Christie said, referring to the popular artificial intelligence chatbot. “The last person in one of these debates to stand in the middle of the stage and say, ‘What’s a skinny kid with a strange last name doing here?’ was Barack Obama.”

“And I’m afraid we’re dealing with the same type of amateur on stage tonight,” he concluded.

However, Ramaswamy played off his youth during the debate, while also touting his experience in establishing “multi-million dollar companies” while emphasizing that the experience of his rivals in government did nothing but prevent them from making real progress. books.

During an MSNBC congregational meeting with Rev. Al Shaprton on October 27, 2003, Ramaswamy asked, “Reverend, Hello. I’m Vivek and I want to ask you: last week on the show we had Senator (John) Kerry, and this week and the week before we had Senator (John) Edwards. And my question to you is, of all the Democratic candidates out there, why should I vote for the one with the least political experience?’

At the time, Ramaswamy was a student at Harvard University attending the televised town hall, which was moderated by then MSNBC host Chris Matthews on his Hardball program.

“Well, you shouldn’t, because I have the most political experience,” Sharpton retorted, provoking laughter from the student audience.

“Don’t confuse people who have jobs with political experience,” the civil rights activist said, adding, “We confuse title holders with political experience.”

Ramaswamy laughed along with the crowd and appeared in the clip pleased with Sharpton’s answer.

Ramaswamy acknowledges the irony of the situation with his 2003 remarks and his current presidential candidate, but said progressive Al Sharpton was right at the time when he said people “confuse title with political experience.”

Ramaswamy, a biotech millionaire, introduced himself at the Aug. 23 debate and said, “Let me answer a question on everyone’s mind at home tonight: who the hell is this skinny guy with a funny last name and what the hell is he doing?” in the middle of this debate phase? I’ll tell you I’m not a politician. You’re quite right. I am an entrepreneur’

“I’m patting the 18-year-old version of myself for getting the most sensible words out of that man’s mouth,” Ramaswamy posted Monday night on the social media site now known as X along with the clip.

He added with a laughing emoji, “20 years later it’s funny how the tables have turned.”

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who also took the stage on Wednesday, used lines of attack against Ramaswamy for having no experience handling foreign policy, while the candidates shared feelings that this was one of current President Joe Biden’s greatest failures. until now.

“You have no foreign policy experience and it shows,” Haley told Ramaswamy, accusing him of wanting to fail U.S. allies by ending aid to Ukraine.

Pence was also skeptical about how Ramaswamy would handle the immense workload of a president with no experience in many policy areas.

“You have people on this stage who don’t even want to talk about things like Social Security and Medicare. I mean, Vivek, you said the other day that a president can’t do everything,” former Vice President Pence said. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Vivek: I’ve been in a hallway, I’ve been in the West Wing. A president in the United States must face every crisis America faces.”

“Joe Biden has weakened this country at home and abroad,” he added. “This is not the time for on-the-job training.”