Kamala Harris’s struggles with male voters
di Valentina Cordero (Corrispondente da New York)
Even Barack Obama criticized Black men who are not supporting the Democratic candidate accusing them of sexism.
During these final weeks of campaign before the election, Kamala Harris is struggling getting some voters to back her up. The Democratic candidate is having a hard time with male voters leaving her party with big concerns given November 5th is around the corner.
According to a recent survey by the New York Times and the Siena College among likely male voters, Republican candidate Donald Trump is leading nationally with 51%, while Harris only got 40%.
Another poll, conducted by USA Today and Suffolk University, shows that in the state of Arizona 51% of Latino men (between the ages of 18 and 34) support candidate Trump, while only 39% support his rival, Harris. Among the Latino men (between the ages 35 and 49) Trump still wins over Harris with 57% against 37%.
«She (Harris) has the same problem with men for the same reason Hillary Clinton did» said strategist Christy Setzer. «Because misogyny exists, as do outdated ideas about who should hold the presidency». During the presidential election in 2016, in fact, Democratic candidate Clinton was behind Trump by 11 points with male voters, as noticed by the Pew Research Center.
Former President Barack Obama came to the rescue of Harris. He threw an arrow in her favor on Thursday October 10th in a surprise stop at a local Harris campaign office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
While speaking directly to Black men, Obama said “well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as a president and you are coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that. Kamala is as prepared for the job as any nominee for president has ever been. With Kamala you have got actual plans.”
But Obama’s comments sounded like a sort of lecture to Black men that just sent an awful message and suggested sexism as the cause of the unwillingness to vote. And he got slammed for that. Nina Turner, former Ohio State Senator, stated that Obama’s comments «belittled» Black men. «Why are Black men being lectured to? Why are Black men being belittled in ways that no other voting group is?».
Given the short time before voters have to make a choice, Harris proposed on Monday a new plan to help Black men, hoping it can support her winning the White House. The plan apparently provides them “with the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights.” The plan also includes 1 million forgivable loans to Black entrepreneurs and new pathways to help Black Americans succeed in the legalized marijuana industry.
