Hillary's Gender Gap—White Males Aren't Voting For Her
05/27/2016
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Thomas B. Edsall writes in the NYT:

In sheer numbers, Clinton has suffered her biggest losses among men, especially white men. The percentage of college-educated white men who said they would vote for her dropped an astonishing 14 points from March to May (from 47 to 33 percent); among white men without college degrees, already a problem area for her campaign, Clinton’s support also fell, from 26 to 14 percent.
The concept of an electoral gender gap was introduced into public discourse by feminists shortly after the 1980 election. They pointed out that Reagan had done less well among women than among men. I pointed out in response that Reagan had just defeated a sitting president 51-41, so maybe Democrats should be wondering about their gender gap problem.

But the point of traditional feminist gender gap rhetoric is not to provide a tool for numerical analysis, it’s to delegitimize the other side’s voters as not quite deserving of human rights. How can Democratic candidates succeed with their strategy of demonizing men if are men still allowed to vote? Something must be done about male suffrage.

The question for the Clinton campaign is whether she can make up her losses among white men with gains among women, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, other ethnic minorities, L.G.B.T.Q. activists and those who value the protection traditionally provided by the Democratic Party for — and Clinton’s reliable commitment to — the disadvantaged.
I think Hillary should commit more wholeheartedly to her Coalition of the Fringes campaign by adding a few more initials to L.G.B.T.Q.
The pressure to retain and increase minority support puts Clinton in another bind: How can she meet the demands of the minority poor for jobs and housing while simultaneously winning the support of more affluent voters repelled by Trump but in no way willing to have a lot of affordable housing built in their neighborhoods?

The Clinton gamble is that she can make these numbers work. But clearly her campaign will face substantial resistance.

So far her strategy has been to tack to the left.

[Comment at Unz.com]

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