International
Harris vs Trump: the battle for the young male vote and the debate on masculinity
The US elections could be decided in an unexpected struggle to attract the male voter of Generation Z, where Donald Trump has eroded Democratic domination over young people while Kamala Harris offers a new model of masculinity, closer to empathy and equality.
The former Republican president (2017-2021) courts those voters by appearing in popular podcasts among Generation Z (born from 1997), while the Democratic vice president tries to position herself as a strong leader, relying on a new model of masculinity championed by her running mate, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.
This battle reveals a deeper debate between the different conceptions of masculinity that prevail in the Democratic and Republican parties and how they resonate among young people.
Trump’s hypermasculinity
Trump’s campaign embraces a kind of hypermasculinity that reached its maximum expression at the republican convention in Milwaukee, where the former fighter Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt live and the former president himself went on stage to the rhythm of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ by James Brown.
At every rally, Trump projects the image of a tough leader. When in July in Pennsylvania a man tried to kill him, he got up after a few minutes crouched and, with a bloody face, raised his fist in front of the American flag, shouting “Fight, fight, fight!”.
Its objective, University of Michigan professor Aaron Kall explains to EFE, is to seduce young voters without university studies and who feel less affinity with democratic ideas than previous generations.
Therefore, Trump has chosen as a running mate the Ohio senator, J.D. Vance, the first member of the ‘millennial’ generation (born between 1981 and 1996) to be part of the commitment of a great party for the White House.
However, in their eagerness to attract the male electorate, both are pushing women away, enthusiastic about the possibility of a woman arriving at the White House for the first time.
For years, Trump has been accused of abuse by dozens of women and this same year a jury found him guilty of abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. Nor do some comments that Vance made in 2021, when he referred to women without children as “lady spinsters with cats” help him either.
Harris’ proposal: a new masculinity
Harris is doing everything possible to mobilize the female vote with the promise of protecting the right to abortion, legal for half a century until in June 2022 the Supreme Court annulled the ‘Roe vs Wade’ ruling.
In addition, to counter that narrative of Trump’s “strong man”, Harris’ campaign has presented its own masculinity alternative: men capable of leading with empathy and comfortable in the background next to a powerful woman.
This image is embodied by the second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who left his job as a lawyer when Harris became vice president, and especially Walz, who represents that renewed masculinity, as Georgetown professor Michael Cornfield explains to EFE.
Nicknamed “trainer Walz” for his experience in American football, Walz has 24 years of service in the National Guard and projects the image of a simple man from the crucial Midwest, appearing in rallies with a flannel shirt and mountain boots.
In his election debut with Harris, on August 6, Walz greeted the vice president by putting her palms together at chest height, showing a deference that enhanced Harris’ aura of leadership.
“Walz is the gateway for those men who feel uncomfortable accepting the possibility that a woman could be a commander-in-chief. It shows that real men can take a back seat with strong and capable women,” Cornfield explains.
The biggest gender gap in history
According to Lanae Erickson, former Barack Obama’s advisor (2009-2017), these differences between the candidates anticipate that in the November 5 elections there will be the largest “gender gap” in the recent history of the United States, that is, the largest difference ever recorded between the percentage of women and men who vote for one or another applicant.
“There is unprecedented enthusiasm for Harris among women. On the other hand, men, especially young people who vote for the first time, are turning to Trump,” says Erickson.
A recent survey by ABC and Ipsos reveals that the gender gap could reach 18 points, surpassing 12 points in 2020 and 11 in 2016.
Specifically, Harris is 13-point advantage of Trump among women, while Trump surpasses Harris by 5 points among men, an unprecedented phenomenon in American politics.
International
Missile attack hits Kharkiv homes, leaving 13 wounded
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that a Russian missile attack on residential buildings in the eastern city of Kharkiv has left at least 13 people injured, according to local authorities.
“A horrific Russian attack on Kharkiv,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram, explaining that two missiles were fired, striking residential areas and causing “a number of casualties that is still being clarified.”
Local officials later confirmed that 13 people were injured in the attack, six of whom were hospitalized, including one woman in serious condition.
International
Sheinbaum evacuates National Palace after 6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Southern Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo evacuated the National Palace on Friday along with journalists and federal government staff after the seismic alert was activated during her morning press conference, triggered by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in the south of the country.
The alert sounded while the president was speaking from the Treasury Hall, forcing the immediate interruption of the event and the activation of established safety protocols.
“Oh, it’s shaking,” Sheinbaum said as she noticed the tremor, before urging those present to remain calm.
According to preliminary information, the earthquake struck the state of Guerrero, one of Mexico’s most seismically active regions. The National Seismological Service (SSN) reported that the quake occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time (13:58 GMT).
Sheinbaum led the orderly evacuation of the historic building, accompanied by reporters covering the briefing and federal government personnel. Images released afterward show the president waiting in the central courtyard of the National Palace as she awaited guidance from Civil Protection authorities on whether it was safe to resume activities.
International
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney to join Ukraine peace talks in Paris
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday that he will take part in peace negotiations on Ukrainescheduled to be held in Paris on January 5 and 6.
In a statement, the Canadian government said the meeting will bring together countries belonging to the so-called Coalition of the Willing, and aims to “accelerate efforts toward a negotiated peace” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, supported by robust security guarantees.
Carney said Canada is working closely with its allies to achieve a “just and lasting peace,” stressing that the Coalition of the Willing must both deter further aggression and reinforce security guarantees, while ensuring that Ukraine is able to rebuild, recover and lay the foundations for genuine prosperity.
The Coalition of the Willing is made up of around 30 countries, the vast majority of them European, all of which are allies of Kyiv.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a meeting of the Coalition, alongside other European leaders, will take place in Paris on January 6, focusing on security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a future peace agreement with Russia.
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