I don't think "ragtime" is racial. "Ragtime" is just something an old dude would say.
"Ragtime"?
First time I've ever heard "ragtime" applied to politics but it's as interesting an expression as "monkey up".
"Ragtime" comes from the concept of "ragged time", referring to the syncopation inherent in the sensibilities of African musical rhythms. "Ragtime" piano, blues, jazz, evolving at the turn of the 19th>20th century very commonly moved an accent to an off-beat, in contrast with European music which (up to then) never deviated from the on-beat.
So yes it's definitely an African reference.
I don't understand the point of meticulously deconstructing the comment. Identity politics in this country is already bad enough without needing to be perpetually outraged.
I don't understand why he would come up with the term "ragtime" for any other reason. Ragtime has a specific derivation and meaning. Even more than "to monkey up".
The floor is still open for any other explanation for his conscious choice of the adjective. None has been attempted. Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade, if you nomsayin'.