Donald Trump has numerous admirers among American men. On the other hand Kamala Harris is almost equally popular among women. Social changes over the past decade in gender equality may be reflected in the upcoming US election. As a result, the different views of male and female voters are likely to become important factors in electing the leaders of the world's most influential countries.
Kamala Harris is the first black woman to run for president in the United States. And she is the second woman to come so close to the highest seat in the country. However, Harris does not use his gender or race as an identity.
In an interview given to the American broadcaster CNN, he said, 'Look, I believe I am the right person for this position. So I am contesting the election. My gender or caste is not the main issue here.'
But despite her best efforts, the gender issue is going to become an important part of her campaign.
For Americans, 'Madame President' may be a completely new thing. While this innovation has attracted many, there are still many people in the country who do not like female leadership.
The Democrat camp, however, refrained from publicly commenting on the issue. But an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he believed there was a latent 'sexism' among the electorate, which could discourage people from voting for a woman candidate.
By 2024, people have become very clever. They don't want to prove themselves as bad people by saying outright misogyny. In this regard, another Democratic official said, Trump or Harris – in response to this question, Harris opponents said that Harris does not have the 'qualification' or 'personality' to take over the Oval Office.
The same tone can be heard from the Republican camp. They believe voters on the 5th will reject Kamala because she is 'weak, dishonest, and dangerously liberal'. It has nothing to do with the Democrat candidate being a woman.
But a senior adviser in the Republican camp told reporters separately that Trump is going to win “because of the overwhelming support of male candidates.”
Hillary Clinton ran for president eight years ago. Anti-feminism was evident in that election.
Since 2016, there have been many changes in society for women. The #MeThu campaign of 2017 raised awareness against discrimination and injustice against women in the workplace. The movement may also have had an impact on Harris getting the nomination.
However, equality, diversity and inclusion remain controversial among many young people. Because they think that they are falling behind. On the other hand, these measures for women are not popular with conservative Americans. They tend to conform to so-called 'gender roles' for men and women.
As a result, the presidential election on the 5th may become a kind of unwritten referendum on the social status of men and women in the current context of the United States. And in this regard, Harris is far behind Trump in reaching younger men.
Expert John Della Volpe said, 'American youth are always afraid of being tagged as a misogynist, racist, etc. if they ask a question. As a result, the idea that no one wants to understand them creates frustration. To fill this void, they gravitate to the 'bro culture' of Trump or Musk.
As a result, a clear division between men and women has come to the fore day by day. Many young Americans used to think that the United States was overdoing it when it came to gender equality. According to a survey by the American Enterprise Institute, the number of young people who hold this view has more than doubled.
And Trump is taking advantage of people's dissatisfaction. Capitalizing on the anger and frustration among men, he has been campaigning on 'masculinity' with redoubled zeal in the last few days. On his social media platform Truth Social, he claimed, 'Masculinity is under threat'.
Meanwhile, Democrats seem to have opted for 'parental rule' to deal with disaffected men. As former President Barack Obama said in a speech with some reproach, many men object to a woman president. That's why they keep coming up with a thousand other excuses, including Harris not being qualified.
Again, actor Ed O'Neill gave a bit of a snappy and clear message through a TV ad. He said, 'Be a Man: Vote for a Woman'.
So, in the last few days of the election, the gender issue is like Schrödinger's cat. At the same time there is and there is not.
Donald Trump is determined to ride the horse of patriarchy to the throne. On the other hand, her main rival, Harris, is more interested in presenting herself with merit rather than femininity.
According to a New York Times poll, Trump has a 14 percent lead among male voters. And among women voters, Harris is leading at 12 percent.
Therefore, the next president may be found in the duel between male and female voters in the upcoming US elections.
Source: BBC
