While the female electorate traditionally favors the Democrats, the male electorate, more specifically white men in their fifties, clearly leans toward the Republicans.
A recent survey New York Times/Sienna Polls indicated that Kamala Harris was leading Donald Trump by 14 points among women (55% vs. 41%), while the Republican candidate enjoyed a comfortable 17-point cushion among men (56% vs. 39%).
On Sunday, Axios noted that the two conventions presented very different models of masculinity. Democrats are looking to narrow the gap with male voters.
Masculinity frozen in time
Male role models are numerous and complex. The evolution of the role of men within the couple, the family and society has destabilized more than one. The Republicans have been able to seize this irritation or, in some cases, this anger, and, as is the case for large parts of their program, they are playing the “it was better before” card to the full.
If we simply summarize what the Republicans are projecting, the man is physically strong, he must dominate, for the most part he lets his partner take care of the children and he does not hesitate to fight if necessary.
Consider Donald Trump’s past statements about what he can get away with with women, and his running mate JD Vance’s past statements about “cat ladies» (these women without children, alone at home with their cats) or those of Tucker Carlson, the fallen king of Fox News.
Also consider their stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, or LGBTQ+ rights, and look again at the Republican convention guest list. Hulk Hogan angry and ripping off his sweater, or Dana White (who has already apologized for hitting his wife), two men associated with brute force and its exploitation
Tonic masculinity
Democrats want to oppose what is sometimes called “toxic masculinity” with the concept of “tonic masculinity.”
According to this concept, man is not breaking with the traditional model, but he has adapted to the emancipation of women, leaves more room for his sensitivity, is closely involved in the education of his children and knows how to be strong while recognizing the legitimacy of the ambitions of his partner or women in general.
It falls to Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, and Harris’s running mate, Walz, to embody this “tonic masculinity.” Emhoff, an influential lawyer who has not hesitated to put his career on hold to support his wife, while Walz is the military man, the football coach and the hunter who speaks emotionally about his family and who has not hesitated to broach the issue of homosexuality with his players and students.
This quick table is a bit of a caricature, but these distinctions in the approaches of the two camps are at the heart of the 2024 campaign. It will be interesting to observe how our neighbors will react to them.
