Bouie says GOP's Trump-style cruelty fails without the celebrity factor

Jamelle Bouie, a columnist for one outlet, used his YouTube "Takes" series to dissect the fallout from Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial Ohio gubernatorial attack ad targeting Democratic nominee Amy Acton. The ad featured Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar, despite Acton not having seen her mother since 1978 after a custody loss. Bouie called the ad morally bankrupt and noted Ramaswamy's refusal to withdraw it, bolstered by Vice President JD Vance's defense of the tactic.

He argued that such cruelty only succeeds when coming from Donald Trump, who is viewed as a celebrity entertainer rather than a conventional politician, allowing voters to treat his attacks as jokes. In contrast, the same approach from Ramaswamy appears simply mean-spirited. Bouie further suggested Vance's support reflects personal resentment toward his own abusive mother and a broader desire to restore traditional patriarchal order, seeing independent women like Acton as threats.