In a joint discussion at the DNC between speakers, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Abigail Phillip acknowledged the Democratic Party's lack of appeal to traditionally masculine American men.
Bash contended, “2016 and now is very different campaigns, very different female candidates but they are doing so in trying to put forward a male figure, Tim Walz being one of them, Doug Emhoff last night who can speak to men out there who might not be the sort of testosterone laden, gun-toting kind of guy who wants to listen to Hulk Hogan and the kind of players that came out at the RNC.”
When Tim Walz was announced as the vice presidential pick, Democrats were quick to circulate photos of him in hunting gear and his football coach uniform, exalting him as a “guy's guy” with middle America appeal that would make them competitive with Trump.
Despite his surface level midwestern credentials, Walz's politics are adamantly progressive and aren't at all representative of the demographic they're hoping to make up ground with. He's championed extreme legislation like state-funded transgender surgeries and medications for minors without parental consent and free college and education for illegal immigrants. He also implemented a staggering 95% tax on Zyn — the nicotine pouches wildly popular with heterosexual, rural men.
Tapper interjected before turning the conversation towards Philip. “We were talking about this earlier, different definitions of masculinity in 2024 and what we saw at the Trump convention, which was, as you know, somebody said it, testosterone with Kid Rock and the ultimate fighting champion guy and Hulk Hogan.”
Over the past decade especially, the American left wing has attached itself to movements that demonize traditional gender roles and have castigated conventional masculinity as “toxic,” while the American right wing has called for a revival of traditional roles.
Philip answered, “There is a contrast that's going to be on display tonight here. I mean, there are gonna be people associated with Planned Parenthood, the Human Rights Campaign — the LGBTQ+ organization — they are gonna be putting those people on stage to talk about a different version of America. But for Democrats it's always this balancing act between feeding the need for their base to hear these messages of affirmation about a sort of rainbow coalition, if you will, of their party, but they do also have to talk to the people, maybe they're not comfortable with the Hulk Hogans, but they do want the Party to speak to them.”
At this year's DNC, in addition to offering free abortions, Planned Parenthood, the Chicago Abortion Fund, and The Wieners Circle partnered to offer free vasectomies for the first two days of the convention in a mobile clinic, as well as offering coupons for discounted hot dogs for all participants.
Just months ago, veteran Democratic strategist largely credited for Bill Clinton's successful 1992 campaign blasted his party for an overwhelmingly “feminine” approach.
“A suspicion of mine is that there are too many preachy females. ‘Don't drink beer. Don't watch football. Don't eat hamburgers. This is not good for you.' The message is too feminine: ‘Everything you're doing is destroying the planet. You've got to eat your peas.' If you listen to Democratic elites — NPR is my go-to place for that — the whole talk is about how women, and women of color, are going to decide this election. I'm like: ‘Well, 48 percent of the people that vote are males. Do you mind if they have some consideration?'”
