Despite "Manwashing," Will The Democratic Attempt To Get Male Votes Be Enough?
Masculine ads, photo ops, and sound bytes don't equate to substantive policies for men and their votes; plus, more media updates
As we head into the final few weeks of the campaign, Democrats have seemingly realized that they are trailing among men and are addressing them directly. While I have implored the Democrats to include substantive male social issues in its campaign from the beginning, in addition to rightfully supporting women’s issues such as abortion and reproductive health, that largely hasn’t happened. But now, Democrats, who appear to be reacting to polling that shows them still trailing among men, are at least reaching out directly to men to try to get their votes. Look at these recent articles:
Politico: Walz to launch media blitz to woo male voters (and here is Walz’s interview with Michael Strahan on GMA on Oct. 11, 2024)
USA Today: Obama calls out Black men for hesitance with Harris: 'You're thinking about sitting out?' (Interestingly, President Obama is facing some criticism for his remarks)
Purdue Exponent: Wanted: male voters for Harris in tough election battle with Trump
Just like corporations can be accused of engaging in Greenwashing — trying to look environmentally sustainable while not meaningfully changing their environmental footprint — the Democrat Party is often guilty of what I call Manwashing. In other words, they are trying to appeal to men on a superficial level without properly addressing any of the specific issues men are facing or offering policies to help them. Or in cases when policies will help men, which many of them do, they don’t choose the frame them that way, so they lose out on potential messaging wins.
Just like Greenwashing, Manwashing is actually a step in the right direction, believe it or not. Because now, the Democrats are openly acknowledging the importance of the male vote, something they have been hesitant to do. That opens the door for more discussion of male well-being and hopefully some more policies in the future. But now, this close to the election, candidates are focused on simpler messaging, not substantive policy changes.
The worst historical example of Manwashing, in my opinion, was the disastrous 1988 photo op of Gov. Dukakis in a tank. It didn’t go over well, and Dukakis lost. See this 538 Documentary called Backfire about the political failure of the photo op.
In 2004, Democratic Candidate John Kerry shared a photo wearing an orange hunting vest. He also lost. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities of the photo Gov. Walz shared on his Facebook page wearing a similar orange vest. While Walz’s photo likely wasn’t a staged photo op, the concept is the same: a masculine photo is not that some as male-supportive policies such as an Office of Men’s Health, or creation of MENTO (job training for Men Entering Non-Traditional Occupations, a balance for WANTO). Something, anything, even just an acknowledgment that men and boys are having legitimate issues.
This year, Democrats have showcased VP candidate Walz as a great dad, military veteran, hunter, and football coach, all masculine roles. He is all of those, and that’s great. But masculinity is not a substitute for substantive policy, such as the creation of an Office of Men’s Health as was suggested by the late Rep. Payne of New Jersey who sadly and ironically died last spring at the age of 65, never seeing his bill AB 4182 come to fruition.
It’s true that image is important. Voters are more likely to vote for someone they relate to, so I understand the male-focused media blitz to make the candidates relatable. But it’s important to keep in mind that overly masculine imaging may not be the right tack. Pres. Bill Clinton appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show playing saxophone; Barack Obama, a community organizer, didn’t pose with guns. Somehow, they connected better with voters, and both of them won among men, not just women, when first elected, according to leading exit polls. And most importantly, they both won the presidency twice.
Below is a video of Harris’s appearance on All The Smoke hosted by former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Harrison Barnes. I’m encouraged and appreciative that Harris and the hosts discussed the issue of mental health and how it can affect Black men, and young Black men in particular (23:45). This is an important issue — and the type of substantive discussion of men’s issues that needs to happen more often and more broadly in Democratic circles.
However, this has been the exception rather than the rule.
Male Social Issues
I outline many more issues faced by men and boys in my book, particularly Chapter 3, and have written about many of them here. For instance, men’s life expectancy is now 5.9 years less than women’s but the current administration has neglected to even mention men’s health. Boys and men are falling behind in education; only 40% of current college students are male. It is men who are significantly more likely to die of overdose, suicide, or murder, be homeless, or be incarcerated. But these gender inequities are never mentioned by Democratic leadership, and instead are swept under the rug which does a disservice to all constituents.
Missed Opportunities
As I have outlined in previous posts, the 2024 State of the Union, the 2025 Proposed Budget, the White House Gender Policy Council, and the 2024 Democratic Party Platform do not mention men’s and boys’ issues at all. Instead, they ignore the obvious, well-known, and well-studied challenges of boys and men, and Democrats seem to hope that male voters (and the women who care about them) will be content with other issues. It’s true, of course, that economic issues are important to everyone, including men. We’re all worried about inflation and long-term fiscal stability, global issues like the Middle East, Ukraine, and the environment. But while rightfully supporting women and girls and vital issues such as abortion and equal pay for equal work, Democrats have intentionally and strategically avoided any mention of issues specifically faced by the other half of the population. And that is a mistake.
Though I’m not religious, I like the saying our high school band director used to say to us: “You can’t be a devil all week and an angel on Sunday.” Similarly, you can’t ignore men for the entire election season, and then ask for their votes at the last minute.
You can’t be a devil all week and an angel on Sunday.
Will the Democrats win regardless in 2024?
Many factors decide an election, and Dems could win despite some flaws in their approach to male social issues. (In fact, Michael Moore just predicted it.) There has been a gender gap in presidential voting since 1980 with men more likely to vote Republican which is the strategic reason Dems should better court men. Right now, the presidential race is about as tight as it could be. However, it’s noteworthy that Harris is significantly behind where Biden was at this time in 2020, and he didn’t win by a lot.
I’m continually astonished that the Democratic Party fails to properly court the male voting bloc which I believe could get them a few more percentage points at the ballot box and greatly improve their odds of winning. Harris has been doing the right thing by appearing on some non-traditional shows like All the Smoke and The Howard Stern Show — she needs to reach out as much as possible between now and Nov. 5.
Whether or not the Democrats win the White House and Congress, and eventually wrest back control of the Supreme Court, it is essential to support boys and men because it’s better policy that will result in better social outcomes for all. The well-being of boys and men isn’t a partisan issue.
Right now, we are a divided country, and for some reason, the Democratic Party does not see how its refusal to directly address men’s and boys’ issues is part of that divide.
Democrats could pull off a White House victory, but we will be weaker for not having a more united country. Or, in a worse scenario for Democrats, Republicans could win the White House and Congress, supported by a majority of the male vote, and make a number of changes unpopular with Democrats.
Media Updates
More updates to the media page:
I’m thrilled that my book How Democrats Can Win Back Men has been recommended by an article on The Good Men Project! “Why Many Will Vote for Donald Trump in 2024 and What We Must Do to Protect Democracy” by Jed Diamond, Ph.D. Jed was one of the few who predicted Trump’s win in 2016.
I posted my second appearance on Many Shades of Green with Maxine Margo Rubin: “Men, Mustaches, Climate Change Makers and the 2024 Election with Mark W. Sutton”
I’ve posted my talk at the Belvedere Tiburon Library.
I added a link to International Falsely Accused Day for which I spoke at the Rose Garden at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
Coming soon: my podcast interview on Netroots Radio.
Positive Messages for Boys
Looking for some swag or gifts with some boy-positive messaging? Check out the goods including mugs, shirts, hats, and more for parents and kids at the Boys Are Great Shop: boysaregreat.shop
Book
If you are enjoying this content, please consider purchasing my book How Democrats Can Win Back Men, the updated version of which is available both in paperback and Ebook for Kindle on Amazon. And if you have, thank you, and please consider writing a review!
The appeals being led by Walz, Obama, and white dudes for Harris all use the same rhetoric; one of guilt and shame--something our political class in media, academia, and government have been doing with its policies and rhetoric for decades. They see men merely as vehicles for political advantage and not people who deserve dignity, fairness, and equality. In order for men to truly fit in, at least in the eyes of the media, it seems males have to subjugate themselves at the altar of a particular rhetoric that leans left and can never lean right.
The messaging, in a bizarre way, debases the independence of men and women who care about boys and men--like beggars fighting for scraps on the outskirts of a feast, the messengers believe men are lucky to even smell the feast.
Men are not the only demographic with whom democrats are having a problem; it's also women who want families and women with families. There are some 80 million family households in America and 58 million are married couple households. There are single moms out their with sons who desperately want their sons to do well and see how the deck is stacked against them. And if you're the middle-class or poorer mother of a son, you're really seeing the charade being rolled out. You already know that your son is the second sex in their eyes.