hereinafter, VR.

Wiki states his parents are Tamil speaking Brahmins from Kerala. Now, I cannot claim to be any kind of expert on the Hindu caste system, either historically or in the present. I am guessing that this might be somewhat analogous to being British landed aristocracy. The point being, if I am right, VR is the inheritor of generation upon generation of social class privilege. He would, from about age 3 onwards, have been instructed in the art of how to secure the good will, favorable opinion and even a bit of emotional attachment of his social inferiors. How to speak, how to stand and carry himself, how to dress and present himself. Notice how the Youtube commentators were sounding like they were halfway in love with this guy. This training in disciplined demeanor seems to have caused a number of commenters to overlook some of the truly outrageous things he has said.

For example, restrict voting age to 24 or 5 was it, and you must pass a citizenship test? How about simply require that schools do their jobs and teach civics again? Oh, but, one supposes, some of his PMC friends are teachers and we mustn't offend them. Then he wants to negotiate with Mr. Putin about Ukraine and insist that Russia give up its' alliance with China. WTF? Russia is a very large, and nuclear armed, nation; I think it can and will ally with whomever it likes. I know that his supporters and funders in the Hindu/Sikh/Jain diaspora are understandably alarmed about the prospect that China might invade India and India needs allies, but they might want to get behind someone who understands how diplomacy works.

His company is a large pharmaceutical company, which I gather owns other such companies. We need not expect any sympathy about out of control health care costs from this guy.

I am reminded of a passage from William James. (I paraphrase) The vulgarian mind, that would be me, obsesses over what James calls interstitial thinking which a gentleman's mind simply refuses to do. Often, James continued, the matters overlooked are of the highest consequence. VR, I would suggest, simply doesn't see, has no awareness of, any who are not in his social class. I suggest he is no less clueless, for all his clear voice and elegant demeanor, than your basic left leaning entitled Ken or Karen. A person who likes his looks and style and wants to see four years of a paralyzed govt. might vote for him. From what I can tell, VR has no allies anywhere in DC. How is he going to get legislation through Congress? How much of DC officialdom is going to pay any attention to him at all?