The Democratic Party in the United States is facing a crisis in its image of masculinity, writes journalist Mike Mariani in a column for The New York Times. According to him, the problem is developing against the background of the growing popularity of an aggressive style of political leadership associated with the Republican Party and President Donald Trump. The analysis is based on conversations with more than 20 political scientists, strategists and sociologists.
Mariani's thesis is that Democrats have long left the conversation about men and masculinity to the political right. In this vacuum, the Republican Party offers an image of a leader who demonstrates strength, dominance and readiness for conflict. Under Trump, political debate has often become a spectacle of insults, direct confrontation, and public testing of physical and personal toughness.
Data shows image problem
A The Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in July found that only 5% of Americans have a predominantly negative view of “men who are masculine or exude masculinity“. At the same time, 27% believe that the Democratic Party views such men negatively. By comparison, 47% say the Republican Party views masculinity positively.
Two-thirds of the men surveyed describe themselves as very or extremely masculine. This makes the issue not only cultural, but also electoral. According to AP VoteCast, Trump has 55% of the male vote in 2024, up from 51% in 2020.
“Democratic voters want a candidate who will fight,” Beth Rheingold, a professor at Emory University who specializes in politics and gender, told The Associated Press. She said that is increasingly being interpreted as a demand for a “more masculine approach,” especially in response to Trump.
Democrats try to respond
The midterms show the different directions in which Democrats are looking for a solution. In Michigan, Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, a “beta” in a dispute over football and leadership. In Texas, Republicans are attacking Democrat James Talarico as “Low T Talarico” — a reference to low testosterone levels.
Talarico responds with a different version of masculinity. He tells of his adoptive father, who mowed not only his own lawn but also that of an elderly neighbor every Saturday. “Real men serve others, and weak men serve themselves,” Talarico says.
El-Sayed also insists that masculinity can be about self-discipline, responsibility, and caring for the community. “You can be strong and masculine, but you can also lift others up,” he tells The Washington Post.
Gavin Newsom offers a more confrontational response, arguing that the overuse of the term “toxic masculinity” has alienated some men. Maryland Governor Wes Moore takes a different tack: he focuses on mentorship, belonging, and the sense that young men are needed in society.
The issue for Democrats, Mariani says, is not simply whether to use tougher language. The question is whether the party can offer its own model of power and leadership that is not based on humiliation and dominance but that seems compelling to voters attracted to Trump's style.
Sources: nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com, apnews.com