2024 ELECTION
U.S. Presidential Race Spurring Debates to Define Masculinity
It’s a consequence of Trump’s anti-woman politics
One would expect that gender conflicts would surface during Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to become the first woman U.S. president. What is surprising is how much of the conflict over the last few weeks has focused on how men see themselves and each other.
This has given more exposure to a toxic masculinity that seeks to diminish women yet has revealed that too many men are dangerously insecure. Distracting from questions of where Harris would lead the free world have been concerns that a lot of men may be emotionally incapable of leading America.
Encouragingly, male Harris supporters have rebelled against the movement of anti-woman sentiment from social-media fringes to the political mainstream. But supporters of her rival, former president Donald Trump, were strongly triggered by her running-mate selection. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has a “man’s man” bio, also has a policy history of dealing with what some dismiss as “mommy issues.”
A former National Guard officer, high school teacher/football coach, hunter and sharpshooter, Walz has been praised for “Midwestern dad energy.” Yet the Trump campaign and its surrogates have…
