Last week, Vivek Ramaswamy subjected Ohioans, and Americans, to one of the most shameful political ads in recent memory. In the advertisement better described as an immoral disappointment, Donna Arthur tells voters not to support her daughter, Democrat Amy Acton , in the upcoming Ohio gubernatorial race. Acton, who is the former director of the Ohio Department of Health, underwent severe physical and sexual abuse by her stepfather as a child and was ultimately removed from her home at the age of 12 after her mother took her stepfather’s side in the matter.
Ramaswamy, the billionaire biotech entrepreneur and Harvard and Yale graduate, has been no saint since he entered politics. In his 2024 presidential campaign, he advocated to abolish the FBI and Department of Education, while also calling for an end to birthright citizenship. However, there is something more sinister about airing an ad that uses your opponent’s abusive mother to gain support at the end of the race.
Ramaswamy’s attack shows that how one conducts themself is far more consequential than their wealth or educational background.
Often, money and education define a person’s social class. Those who attend the best universities tend to make more money and have access to other people with wealth. For them, being classy means having more money, but this does not mean they are classy in the context of having dignity. In its most important meaning, having class means respecting the dignity of oneself and the dignity of others, acting in a manner that is both fair and honorable.
Vivek Ramaswamy is one such example of being classy through wealth, and his luxurious lifestyle has been the subject of Acton’s scrutiny throughout the race. Ramaswamy often travels via private jet and has even spent upwards of $1 million flying around the world as a part of his bid for Ohio’s governorship. Additionally, he has enjoyed lavish trips out of the country, including a trip to Paris on the Fourth of July. Ramaswamy has seemingly met the pre-requisites to be considered a classy individual.
Yet, the commercial he and his campaign released was not classy, at all. And that is not an isolated instance. Ramaswamy simply is not a classy individual.
Despite having a net worth of over $2 billion, and with it, every opportunity to demonstrate superior class, the gubernatorial candidate still went ahead with an ad that mocked a survivor of sexual abuse with their complicit mother.
Although the association of class with wealth and privilege is rooted in our society, we must acknowledge that one’s dignity is instead based on their actions.
In fact, many Americans recognize that pursuing such a commercial as Ramaswamy did was in poor taste. The ad has faced bipartisan backlash, even from current Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who has endorsed Ramaswamy, and Ohio Sen. Jon Husted. It is worth mentioning that DeWine attended Miami University and Ohio Northern University, while Husted attended the University of Dayton. These two Ohio Republicans understand what it means to have class, despite not having the wealth or level of education that Ramaswamy does.
Others do not feel the same way about the vile commercial. Both the president and vice president defended Ramaswamy and criticized the Acton campaign. Vice President J.D. Vance even scolded fellow Republicans for objecting to the ad and not supporting Ramaswamy. Does this mean Trump and Vance are not classy people? Trump is a billionaire who attended the University of Pennsylvania , while Vance is a venture capitalist who graduated from Yale Law School.
On paper, both are highly regarded as dignified members of society, but in reality, they acted without any decency in defending Ramaswamy.
In actuality, people who are classy are those who put effort into being dignified. Amy Acton is classy because she works to help others, especially given that she is a physician and former director of the Ohio Department of Health who has dedicated decades to supporting Ohioans. DeWine is classy as well; he recognized that what Ramaswamy did was a complete moral failure and said so publicly. There are many who will brush off the advertisement as a side effect of modern politics and the move of somebody who will truly do anything to win. For them, being classy does not matter in politics, and all that matters is what party the candidate is from. Further, they may not be fond of Acton and therefore support the attack against her. But do we really want a political landscape void of dignity?
Historically, Americans were less polarized, choosing to focus on a candidate’s policies and quality of character rather than party association. Take John McCain and Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential race for example, with the former defending his opponent against racism at a town hall in Minnesota. Just weeks before the election, McCain risked giving up an advantage to Obama, but that did not matter to McCain, he chose class. Prioritizing classiness in politics allows voters to hold elected officials accountable for how they behave, keeping honesty at the forefront of campaigns.
We must all be mindful of what we do with our status, rather than what that status does for us.
For students like me, the issue is extremely relevant. Here at Vanderbilt, my classmates and I have the privilege of attending one of the nation’s most prestigious universities. Not to mention that many of us come from great wealth or will achieve it at some point in our lives. In a student body where almost 25% come from the top 1% of wealth in the U.S., it is crucial to understand that dignity is earned by supporting others, not degrading them.
Ramaswamy can act as sophisticated as he pleases, taste the most expensive delicacies and flaunt his Ivy League degrees, but he will still never be classy. He serves as a reminder that it is our actions, not our status, that dignifies us.
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