The Gender Battle in the 2024 Election
Typically, I draw political insights from Rahm Emanuel rather than his brother Ari. However, a recent quote from Ari, the Hollywood power broker, to Matthew Belloni of Puck, piqued my interest regarding the prevailing gender divide in the upcoming 2024 election. He stated, “This election is gonna come down to probably 120,000 votes. You probably have 60 percent of the male vote for Trump, and the female vote is 60-40 for Kamala. It’s a jump ball. We’re gonna find out who wants this more — men or women.”
Are we witnessing a return to the age-old struggle of Mars versus Venus, or have we never truly escaped it? This election presents itself as the ultimate showdown of the sexes in what promises to be one of the most visceral contests in modern history. The question looms large: who will emerge victorious? Will it be the women, particularly the younger demographic, who are dismayed by Donald Trump’s brash machismo and outdated viewpoints? Or will it be the men, including many young men, union workers, and men of color, who are captivated by Trump’s audacious swagger, viewing him as a counterbalance to the perceived decline of male dominance?
Diving into the deep-seated yearnings of both men and women—examining their priorities, identities, anger, and frustrations—makes this election increasingly complex. When I authored a book on gender in 2005, I naively believed that by now, we would be coexisting harmoniously on this planet. Yet here we are, facing the stark reality that the sexual revolution has only intensified our confusion, leaving women grappling with a paradox of dependence and independence in the 21st century. The more we attempted to emulate men, the more we recognized our intrinsic differences.
Progress is seldom linear. It was disheartening to witness the intense backlash against trailblazers like Geraldine Ferraro, Anita Hill, and Hillary Clinton during their respective campaigns. In the case of Kamala Harris, the repercussions of such backlash are already surfacing even before the election reaches full swing. Surveys reveal lingering doubts about a woman’s capability to occupy the highest office in the land, echoing sentiments I encountered while covering Ferraro’s candidacy in 1984. A significant number of men—and even some women—continue to question whether women possess the emotional fortitude necessary to engage with world leaders and lead the military effectively.