Richard V. Reeves writes:

With the election just a few weeks away, the contest for the votes of men is heating up. Young women’s support is effectively locked up for the Democrats, but young men still seem up for grabs and the Trump-Vance ticket is making inroads, with some polls showing a double-digit advantage.

Ironically, an election that was supposed to be about women because of the issue of abortion rights may in the end be decided by the votes of young men.

The Republicans have been aggressively competing for the male vote from the get-go. Donald Trump was introduced to the RNC convention by Dana White, head of the UFC. Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt. The GOP messaging wasn’t subtle: We like the stuff most men like, and we like men. Trump and JD Vance have appeared on multiple podcasts popular among young men. A Republican voter turnout effort aimed at young men is being promoted at college football games.

The Democrats are now playing catch-up. Kamala Harris has launched an “opportunity agenda” for Black men, promising action to support entrepreneurs, regulate crypto and recruit more male teachers. She is reported to be considering an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, which has an enormous audience of mostly men. Democratic strategists seem to have realized belatedly that it will be hard to win without male votes. The question is whether this is too little, too late.

There is, though, a policy paradox here that Democrats could take advantage of. The Republicans are signaling a pro-male stance, but without any policy substance. The Democrats have existing initiatives that are a good starting point for a strong pro-male policy platform. But they have been reluctant to package them as such and could do much more.

There is a real political opportunity right now for a party to craft an agenda that speaks to men — and addresses their real problems.

Contrary to progressive belief, young men are not turning into a generation of misogynists. Support for gender equality continues to rise, including among men under 30. The problem seems more to be that many men simply don’t see much recognition of their issues, or even of their identity, on the political left.

If the Democrats are the “women’s party,” as one party strategist claimed, it might not be surprising that men are looking in another direction. The official party platform lists the groups it is proud to serve; women are listed but men are not. There is a new Gender Policy Council in the White House, but it has not addressed a single issue facing boys or men.

The failure to engage with men’s issues is proving to be a costly mistake, particularly in our politics and culture. The challenges facing many men, especially working-class men and men of color, are not the confections of the online “manosphere.” They are real. But they have not been sufficiently addressed, or sometimes even acknowledged. This has left a vacuum, which has been filled, in many cases, by more reactionary voices from the manosphere. [Continue reading…]