The 38-year-old businessman was the buzz of the recent Republican debate in Milwaukee after taking center stage and finding himself in the hottest exchanges of the night.
But the buzz has not translated into a poll ratings surge for candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
In fact, several respected polls released since the debate have support for the upstart candidate declining.
The Emerson College poll out this week reported that Ramaswamy’s support among Republican voters actually dropped, from 10% before the debate to 9% afterward, a 1% decline.
Similarly, the Morning Consult tracking poll has the candidate at 11% before the debate, and falling to 10% after.
And a new Public Opinion Strategies survey obtained by Fox News yielded a bigger drop, with Ramaswamy’s support sliding from 10% before the debate to 7% afterward.
While polling data suggests Ramaswamy was liked by voters, he is not getting them to back him in significant numbers.
“He’s running as a pro-Trump candidate, so voters are asking if he’s so pro-Trump why doesn’t he just endorse the former president and drop out the race,” Dick Morris, a presidential strategist who advises President Trump, told Newsmax.
“And they also ask themselves why pick a 38-year-old amateur who often takes extremist views over Donald Trump, a seasoned pro who has been vetted and can govern from day one,” Morris added.
Ramaswamy’s debate performance, Morris noted, brings to mind the 2012 primary election when candidates like Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann became popular with voters but never got real votes.
In his recent debate the well-spoken Ramaswamy drew both cheers and jeers, but made an impact because he interjected himself as many times as he could, earning him the second-largest portion of speaking time, according to The New York Times.
But getting his point across also made him a target for more seasoned politicians.
During the debate Nikki Haley chided Ramaswamy for calling for a complete cut-off of U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Ramaswamy has taken other unusual policy positions, including urging China to invade Taiwan after 2028.
He argued that by then he, as president, will have moved Taiwan’s microchip business to another location, allowing the U.S. to stand aside as China invades.
Marisa Herman ✉
Marisa Herman, a Newsmax senior reporter, focuses on major and investigative stories. A University of Florida graduate, she has more than a decade of experience as a reporter for newspapers, magazines, and websites.
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