By John Bossange
There’s no mystery why Kamala Harris has a commanding lead among women voters. Women prefer her to be our next president by 14 percentage points. Women favor Harris across every racial and ethnic subgroup imaginable: White, Black, Latina, Asian, and even Pacific Islander. No matter where they live, their religion, age or social-economic class, Ms. Harris leads by 55%-41% over Mr. Trump
Her biggest leads are with Black voters, younger voters between 18-34 years old, and White voters with a college degree.
Women share the same concerns as men do about the economy, immigration, the climate crisis, health care, violent crime, guns, protecting democracy and the constitution, foreign policy, and other important regional and national issues, but the character, and the words and actions of Mr. Trump have risen to the top of their reasoning for supporting Kamala Harris. So, what is driving this gender divide?
What woman would put up with the crude, misogynistic Trumpian-type behaviors from their husband, partner or boyfriend? Who would find a reason to excuse their spouse for hiring a prostitute to service them while they nursed their four-month old infant? Who would stay with a man who was liable for sexually abusing a woman and had to pay a court ordered fine of five million dollars? What woman would tolerate their man bragging publicly about grabbing women by their genitals and stating that “they loved it.”
When I talk with my female friends, many will tell you that Mr. Trump gives them the “creeps.” Every woman knows the meaning of that word and the sense of fear it brings. Foremost, with 65% of all women in support of reproductive rights, it’s no wonder why Mr. Trump is failing to gain the support of women. His creepy behavior and engineering the repeal of Roe v. Wade will be the downfall of Mr. Trump’s campaign.
Conversely, Mr. Trump holds a 16 percent lead over Ms. Harris with all male voters, 56%-40%. His biggest leads are with rural voters, White voters, and Whites without college degrees. Only Black men favor Ms. Harris. Latin men favor Mr. Trump, while fathers as an overall group support Trump as well.
For these men, what is the appeal of Mr. Trump, and why has gender risen to the top of their reasoning to support him? After all, they share the same concerns on national issues as women but they prefer the male candidate. Are men more comfortable with and tolerant of Mr. Trump’s misogynistic behaviors? Are they uncomfortable with a woman in the White House, and more comfortable with a man as our next president? Again, what is driving this gender divide?
The gender gap has become a painful subject for some men. For the past decade, women have out performed men in their academic performance in high school and with college acceptance and graduation rates, in the college educated labor force with higher paying and skilled jobs, with career entrepreneurship, with investing and financial organization, in overall adult learning and career development, with multitasking, dealing with pain, staying healthy, and now living longer than men.
Need proof? Contact any high school administrator or college placement office, or a medical, business, and law school admission’s office, and they will show you an overwhelming majority of women. M.I.T. is now 50/50! Speak with the Chamber of Commerce, or a personnel office of a business, and they will give you the challenges they face recruiting and hiring qualified men willing to become educated or trained do the work. This crisis is growing worse every year.
Mr. Trump has provided excuses for the struggling male population, and for young men in particular. Unfortunately he has used racism and sexism to blame innocent scapegoats, which has resonated with men of all ages, nationalities, and ethnic backgrounds. Mr. Trump’s 16% advantage with men is as telling as Mrs. Harris’ 14% advantage with women.
In the end, I believe that gender will be the deciding factor when Ms. Harris wins the election because women tend to vote in larger numbers and the reproductive rights issue is so important, personal, and symbolic of their freedom. Ms. Harris’s stance on many other issues in support of the role of our democratic government will also play a key role in her victory. Stability and honoring the Constitution provide a more comfortable vision of America, but the growing women’s vote will be the critical pathway to a Harris presidency.
When Mr. Trump loses it will not be because of his support from men. It will be because his supporters do not see chaos, hopelessness, discriminatory attacks, darkness, and fascism as domestic terrorism. Instead they see revolution, the cleansing of America, a strong man standing for law and order, and the end of the “deep state.” It is this scenario that will eventually sink the Trump candidacy.
People have had enough of his unhinged terror. The thought of Mr. Trump with the nuclear codes, combined with his recent fascist rants about ethnic purity, the use of our military to round up criminals, Democratic accomplices, and the “enemy from within” to be deported, or executed are unchristian, unpatriotic, unethical, and immoral beliefs. This, combined with his childish insults using “stupid,” “retarded,” “low I.Q.,” and “scum,” are words more and more Americans will not envision coming from the White House, and will contribute to the defeat of Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump’s values are not the values most Americans will carry into this election. In the end, enough voters will tire of Mr. Trump’s fascist terrorism and infantile disrespect of fellow Americans. Voters will support an America offering democratic stability, hope, light, and respectful language by embracing a Harris presidency.
The author is a retired South Burlington educator.