As the United States hurtles towards the climax of its 2024 presidential election, an unspoken yet potentially decisive factor looms large: the gender of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. With mere weeks remaining and polls predicting a dead heat, concerns are mounting that deep-seated misogyny could tip the knife-edge race in favor of the controversial incumbent, Donald Trump.
The Elephant in the Room
While Harris has deliberately downplayed the historic nature of her candidacy as the first woman of color on a major party ticket, the reality of sexism in American politics is impossible to ignore. As one activist group cautioned:
Women candidates are subject to toxic and misogynistic standards that are often perpetuated in public and by the media. This is exacerbated for women of color.
Emily’s List pressure group
Rather than overtly attacking Harris’s gender, Trump has resorted to coded language, persistently emphasizing the need for “strength” in leadership—a thinly veiled synonym for traditional masculinity. The contrast between Trump’s aggressive posturing and Harris’s uplifting message of “joy” has led some observers to frame the election as a battle of Mars versus Venus.
The Gender Divide
This tacit gender dynamic is reflected in polling data, which consistently shows men favoring Trump while women lean towards Harris. Recent surveys have given the Democratic nominee leads of up to 16 percentage points among female voters. However, Harris’s support among key demographics like black and Hispanic Americans has notably declined compared to Biden’s in 2020, driven partly by disaffection among younger, non-college-educated minority men.
The pernicious influence of sexism may also be interacting with other voter attributes in subtle ways. College-educated white voters break heavily for Harris, while those without degrees prefer Trump by wide margins. Likewise, the Republican incumbent maintains an advantage with white voters overall, whereas Harris leads among people of color.
Stalling Momentum
Beyond the gender factor, concerns are growing that Harris has failed to consolidate her position and deliver a knockout blow to her vulnerable opponent. After an initial post-convention surge, the Democrat’s polling numbers have largely stagnated, hovering at a precarious 1.5% national lead. By comparison, Biden was nearly 10 points ahead at the same juncture in 2020.
Critics argue that Harris has been overly vague on policy specifics and lacks a cohesive vision for the country. While her personal charisma is evident, some see her struggling to project an authoritative, “presidential” image—yet another gendered expectation that male candidates rarely face. As one conservative commentator put it:
She generally gives the impression of someone who is either trying to hide her real views or hide the fact that she doesn’t have real views.
Bret Stephens, conservative pundit
The Final Stretch
As the campaign enters its final weeks, the specter of misogyny threatens to rear its ugly head in unpredictable ways. Polls may be underestimating Harris’s true strength, as they did for Trump in the last two cycles. A robust turnout among women, especially those motivated by issues like abortion rights, could propel the Democrat to a historic victory.
Yet the haunting possibility remains that America’s unexamined gender biases, combined with the idiosyncrasies of the Electoral College, could once again install an unfit misogynist in the Oval Office. In a deeply polarized nation, Harris cannot prevail on her own; it will require a concerted effort from voters of all genders to repudiate regressive sexist attitudes.
The 2024 election thus represents more than a choice between two candidates or parties. It is a referendum on whether the United States is prepared to confront and transcend the primitive chauvinism that has long tainted its politics. In the balance hangs the future of a nation—and the aspirations of women everywhere who dare to reach for the highest echelons of power.
