Vivek Ramaswamy and Ro Khanna clash over the American dream in intense debate: 5 takeaways

MANCHESTER, N.H. — GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., both believe the future of America is bright. They don’t see eye to eye on much else.

The political figures, both Indian Americans, clashed over and over during a debate Wednesday hosted by St. Anslem College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics. The Republican and Democrat argued over topics from the economy to foreign policy, all revolving around their visions of protecting the American dream for future generations.

“I'm glad to hear that we share, at least in the long run, the view of a bright future for America,” Ramaswamy told Khanna in front of the packed audience of voters. “But we disagree about the path that gets there.”

“My general policy is practicing what I preach, and what I preach is talk to everybody,” Ramaswamy said after the debate about his decision to publicly speak with Khanna. “I think more conversation is good for our country.”

Here’s a look at the top takeaways from their debate.

Securing the American dream

Though Ramaswamy and Khanna share similar experiences as the children of immigrants, their view of the American dream differs.

Ramaswamy has often championed a conservative vision of meritocracy, or success based on skills or other abilities, on the campaign trail.

“No matter who you are, or where your parents came from or what your skin color is, or how long your last name is, until then you still get ahead in this country with your own hard work, your own commitment, your own dedication, and that you are free to speak your mind at every step of the way,” Ramaswamy said. “And yes, that is the American dream.”

But the businessman has also claimed that Americans have celebrated diversity and differences for so long that they “forgot all of the ways that we're really the same as Americans, bound by a common set of ideals.”

“I think when you ask people in our generation or younger, what does it mean to be an American? You get a blank stare in response,” Ramaswamy said earlier in the debate. “That is a vacuum of identity where you have a black hole that runs that deep.”

Khanna sharply disagreed with Ramaswamy on Wednesday, saying, he recognizes the “struggles of race and the struggles of people who have fought for that more perfect union.” He cited an 1869 speech from Frederick Douglass arguing for a nation consisting of people from all backgrounds and races.

“Here’s what I say to young people. We have come too far to turn back,” Khanna said. “We have come too far to turn back. When I look at the young people in Congress… it gives me hope. When I looked at this young generation, it gives me hope. Our work is hard. But our work is to vindicate Douglass's vision of becoming a cohesive multiracial democracy.”

One economic goal, two approaches

Ramaswamy and Khanna on Wednesday pointed to economic goals often cited by members of both parties, including fueling the American economy and incentivizing U.S. manufacturing. But where Ramaswamy favored a classic conservative approach to cutting taxes and eliminating government regulation, Khanna firmly called for more investments in key U.S. industries.

Khanna, a four-term congressman known for his belief in “progressive capitalism,” argued on Wednesday that a lack of government investment has led to the hollowing out of former manufacturing communities across the country, from Ohio to New Hampshire.

The Biden administration, he said, is making progress toward bringing back those jobs with legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act, a sweeping piece of legislation passed in 2022 to boost domestic manufacturing of computer chips.

“Other governments were willing to fight for those jobs with government investment,” Khanna asserted. “They were willing to say we are going to push money into the private sector and labor to grow the industries. That's how we built America. That's what we're doing.”

And echoing a common campaign refrain, Ramaswamy told voters in the Manchester auditorium that the main obstacle preventing economic growth is regulation from the government on businesses.

“Those regulations coming from on high have constrained the production energy, building up new housing, the production of food that's driving prices up, it's constraining economic growth,” he argued.

America on the world stage

For much of the debate, the two young politicians danced around how the U.S. should approach foreign policy in the Middle East and Ukraine.

While Khanna opposed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq because they “didn’t make sense” for U.S. interests, he pushed against isolationism for the nation.

“What makes America great is that we believe in the dignity and human rights of people around the world,” he said to claps from the audience. “We need to be involved in helping bring peace in the Middle East and having the Palestinians and Israelis involved in restarting the peace process.”

Ramaswamy, for his part, described the U.S. military strategy in the Middle East as equivalent to a “bull in a china shop.” The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East “dilutes the focus on what actually threatens the American homeland,” he said, referring to American competition with China.

“We need to be that shining city on a hill and the way we do it is by being strong at home, setting that example for the rest of the world and allies to defend themselves,” he said. “That is what makes America itself.”

Finding common ground 

Khanna and Ramaswamy came close to agreeing on one issue – the need for political reform in Washington and campaigns across the country. But they didn’t quite get there.

In September Khanna introduced a plan that would set 12-year term limits for members of Congress, prohibit federal office seekers from accepting certain donations and ban them from trading stocks while in office.

“It’s pretty simple – get money out of politics,” he told the audience about the proposal.

Ramaswamy, who pledged in May to support the ratification of a constitutional amendment enshrining congressional term limits, agreed that there was “great opportunity for true bipartisan reform.”

But he sidestepped a request from Khanna to support a part of his legislation that would fundamentally alter laws surrounding campaign funding, suggesting it wouldn’t pass Congress. Instead, the Ohio native reiterated his calls to enact eight-year term limits for federal bureaucrats.

“The people who we elect to run the government, they're not even the ones really running the government or exercising political power that keeps the lifeblood in Washington, D.C. fresh,” he told voters.

The former biotech CEO has also increasingly railed against Super PACs on the campaign trail, arguing that they shouldn’t be allowed to directly fund candidates and that political donations should max out at $3,300 per person. A Super PAC is a "political action committee" that can receive unlimited funds from individuals as well as organizations and other PACs.

He has repeatedly said that he is the only candidate not “bought and paid for,” in the Republican primary.

Creating a ripple effect

Ramaswamy isn’t the only Republican contender who has agreed to debate someone across the aisle ahead of the the general election next year. Later this month, Gov. Ron DeSantis will face off against California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a 90-minute debate on Fox News moderated by Sean Hannity.

The unconventional matchups come as GOP presidential hopefuls attempt to catch up to frontrunner former President Donald Trump. Four sets of criminal indictments against the former president appear to have intensified his support among his base.

But why might Democratic lawmakers want to engage with Republican White House hopefuls? For Khanna and Newsom, the early debates provide a chance to counter Republican attacks and showcase the Democratic Party’s vision ahead of the general election next November.

Neither Khanna or Newsom are running for President in 2024 – they both are backing President Joe Biden – but the debates also allow them to build national profiles and position themselves for potential runs in the future.

Going into the debate, Khanna said his goal was to have a civil, substantive conversation with Ramaswamy, a tone often missing in Washington.

“I'm hoping that [Ramaswamy] and I engage in a real debate of ideas and it's substantive and does not just devolve into political name calling,” he told USA TODAY.

“I think it'll be a contrast and what we see later with DeSantis and Newsom,” Khanna added, noting that he and Ramaswamy chose to host their debate at the nonpartisan New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, a forum known for hosting dialogue on a diverse range of issues, rather than on cable television.

The hopes for civility were largely met, as both political figures avoided personally attacking their sparing partner throughout the conversation.

Contributing: Rachel Looker

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ro Khanna face off over American dream: Takeaways