VICTOR JOECKS: Why Democrats have a man problem

Democrats spent decades vilifying masculinity. Now, they’re wondering why men abandoned them.

In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s 2024 rampage through the swing states, Democrats have spent months looking for what went wrong. The leftist data firm Catalist found the answer. Just 42 percent of men supported Kamala Harris, while 55 percent of women did. The drop-off was especially large among minority voters. Harris’ support from Latino males dropped by 12 percentage points. Among Black men, it dropped 8 percentage points. Trump gained the most support among young voters.

Speaking with American Men is a $20 million effort to reverse this. It recently released findings from dozens of focus groups and a national survey on media consumption. “Young men also spoke of being invisible to the Democratic coalition,” Ilyse Hogue, a project co-founder, told Politico. Further, men are concerned that they’re in a “no-win situation around the meaning of ‘a man,’ ” the research memo stated.

This didn’t require millions of dollars to figure out. Just look around. The men Democrats fight the hardest for are often illegal immigrants or those pretending to be women. That’s not appealing to most men, who can actually define the term. The message of the bogus gender pay gap is that men should be paid less. A popular slogan is that “the future is female.” The left has declared that masculinity itself is toxic.

Once you step back, it’s easy to see why Democrats have a man problem. Understanding the root cause takes more work.

The problem stems from the left’s belief that men and women aren’t inherently different. After the first generation of feminists secured equal rights, the second wave demanded equal outcomes — especially economically. This assumption puts men and women in direct conflict. A man channeling his natural aggression and risk tolerance to become a successful entrepreneur isn’t celebrated. It’s another example of the patriarchy.

This belief has wormed its way throughout many of society’s institutions. Kindergarten has moved from play time to focused academic instruction. If girls can sit still, the rambunctious boys should be able to as well despite fewer recesses.

Being raised by a single mom shouldn’t be a problem for boys. If men and women are the same, kids don’t need a mom and dad. Male-only groups, such as the Boy Scouts, shouldn’t exist. The disproportionate achievements of men in math and science are a problem. Society needs more women in STEM.

The results have been bleak. Academically, male students trail females by a wide margin. Men are significantly more likely to commit suicide, abuse drugs and end up in jail. Their life expectancy is shorter. The percentage of working-age men working or looking for work has generally been dropping for decades. Adjusted for inflation, male earnings have stagnated. And then leftists look down their noses at men and attack them for their “privilege.”

The tough thing to figure out is why some men still remain in a party that despises them.

It doesn’t have to be this way. And it would be much better if it weren’t. Democrats should return to the reality that mankind took for granted for millennia. Men and women are different. Men bring something to society that women can’t — and vice versa. Embracing these differences benefits society.

Praise men who use their physical strength, determination and stoicism to create things of value, such as a family or business. Praise women for having children and nurturing the next generation. As it turns out, traditional sex roles weren’t a social construct, but a reflection of underlying biological differences.

Of course, if a Democrat acknowledged this, he probably wouldn’t be a Democrat for long.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.