Do we want a man who has threatened to rough up an opponent, as Mr. Biden has done with Mr. Trump?
- Richard Dorment
-------------
I know I do.
Trump is a bully. Bullies are cowards. They like to hurt and humiliate people, but they avoid fair fights.
Joe Biden gives me the impression of a guy who spent his teenage years beating up bullies. I think he is like a seasoned boxer: he has one more good fight in him.
1
If George W. Bush, from a long line of Oil Barron Money and possibly "bought" into Yale himself, is an everyman, than I'm a monkey's uncle.
(*can I still say that in 2019?)
60
I'm going with the author's Dirtbag Left candidate. Love to see Warren in the Dirtbag administration. For some of us, record & policy still triumphs over gender.
67
"...we don’t need surveys to tell us that many voters, men as well as women, revel in Mr. Trump’s strongman persona and throwback masculinity."
I have always found it bumfuzzling that anyone, especially any male would see Trump as masculine. In a real sense. Not in the blow-hard sense. He's the furthest things from masculine, or macho I can think of...even when he was young he lacked any masculine traits. Looking more foppish then macho. He was pouty lipped before the selfie made it popular.
And that all he does physically is play golf, the least masculine of all the sports, even bowling is more masculine - only makes him less masculine.
Right now, only Booker and Biden interest me as viable, maybe can win candidates. But its simply too early to read any tea leaves. I expect that by the end of this summer, the atmosphere will have greatly changed how we view the candidates.
Personally, I do hope Jeb Bush's call for some GOP challengers manifests.
50
Can we please stop using the word " woke ". It may be very hip but it is not helpful .
59
I would add that the quality of the men running on the Democratic side is impressive: kind men, men who share home/child duties with their wives, or husbands, men who actually care. Anyone can be a bully, it takes a big man to change a diaper.
33
What’s all the nonsense about “dirtbag left?” Aren’t you being insulting, just like the “old view” alpha dog men you say men have gone beyond?
56
So this is what passes at the NYT for a gender analysis of masculinity in US politics, this trying-too-hard-to-be funny piece of fluff? In the hands of someone whose less concerned with getting laughs from the Bill Maher set, this would actually be an valuable topic to explore. How about saving the column space for something more substantive--this seems much more appropriate for the author's home publication.
41
Bernie Sander is "patron saint of the dirtbag left," eh? I suppose that is what you get for advocating to have what our neighbors in the rest of the first world have: universal access to healthcare so that people can live healthier lives and don't die because of profiteering on life-saving drugs like insulin. Such a dirtbag stance!
100
I stopped reading this “op-Ed” piece after being slammed by this Dude as one of Bernie’s “dirtbag lefties”. Unbelievable.
Maybe I should write something and submit it to NYT for the Op-Ed’s. I certainly will not stoop to name calling, so right away, it will be a far better article.
83
"The dirtbag left", you lost me there with that insulting description.
74
",,,and there’s Bernie Sanders, patron saint of the dirtbag left."
Say what?
81
"[T]here’s Bernie Sanders, patron saint of the dirtbag left."
Not even trying to hide your bias, Mr. Dorment?
83
Rich that the editor of a magazine that pushes a very narrow and antiquated male subjectivity is preaching about how woke the 2020 male candidates are.
13
Everyone with brain cells knows that Trump is one big fake 'alpha' male. All hat, no cattle. That people actually buy his staged strongman persona says sad things about our gullibility.
As for Boehner, I always thought he was crying because he had had one too many or maybe smoked something now that it has been revealed that he plans to cash in on the pot craze.
The Democratic field of candidates represents Americans today with all the differences that come with living in 2019. That the GOP relies on the rigid cult of white christian males who have ganged up to stay relevant is Trumpism.
What many do not want in the White House is a lazy, immoral, ignorant greedy person filled with hate. We want a competent leader who serves ALL the people.
30
Could we please, please, please, just give the whole, “manhood,” thingy the big old heave-ho? Or does that run afoul of the mission statement of “Men’s Health?”
15
I didn't realize all you had to do to be a dirt bag was agree that inequality is killing us.
69
Hmm. I get it. Everyone on the dem ticket - according to this article - is a bit ridiculous. Vegans, dirtbags, geeks, woke bros.
Okay.
Is the center and left aware that this affectation? This pretense of mild amusement at everything. It signals a lack of conviction; moral and intellectual vacuousness. It signals you will not fight for anything. It does not, ever, signal strength, organization, intelligence, or moral clarity.
To be clear, this is no time for faint amusement (not that center and left sages would know this). You are not living in a sitcom with canned laughs; this is real.
It is a time for feeling horrified, for organizing rapidly, and for doing everyihng possible to stop the rip in the entire American fabric.
Horror toward the republicans' parasitic intents. Horror over their effectiveness in splitting asunder everything good and wholesome about America. Education, economy, justice, environment are being ripped.
Horror that republicans have criminalized everyone they dislike - with great success.
If we are not capable of acting out of horror, let us not seek refuge in faint amusement.
The only ridiculous constituency in America is center and left, and the fairly clever and effective subversive writers such as Mr. Dormant. The right is organized, acting, and winning.
I doubt you will be faintly amused or find slightly ridiculous the mercury floating in your coffee next, and dioxin residue on your cooling pies. Or maybe you will.
29
Perhaps we should search for a nonbinary candidate; one that doesn't know what gender he/she/it is, then everyone would be happy.
7
Somehow I think I'll trust the women this time. An Elizabeth Warren-Kamala Harris combo, or vice versa, is just the ticket for 2020.
22
"We don't want any man in the White House at all." BINGO!!!!
15
I am SO sick of the man-selling that's going on in entertainment and the media right now.
Hate-anger-fear-death-destruction-praying to their "god"- rape-pillage-plunder-cheat-steal-a gun in every hand (male and female) is the man way.
This does not represent MY America. This is not the kind of United States of America most of us want.
It is way past time for women to step up and take one-half the power in every segment of society - as they are doing right now- to bring balance back to the world.
Let's have more "This Is Us", "For The People" and "Rookie" and much less "Swat", other cop/shoot-em-up and killer shows.
Let's get back to actually talking with and meeting with each other. Let's get back to a more civilized world.
Let's show that we have grown up and will not accept just any man over the most qualified candidates, which just happen to be females right now.
11
Interesting perspective. Yes, now that you mention it, this is an interesting bunch of dudes.
4
Wake me up when a bald, atheist dwarf is welcomed into the fold. Until then, one philosophy-challenged, power-hungry candidate is just like another.
10
Is there a McGuyver in the pack?
2
I'm voting for Pete Buttigieg.
A brainy, married gay man who's a mayor re-elected with 80% of the vote, who served in Afghanistan and who answers questions in complete sentences meets any definition of masculine needed.
Stop talking about Beto. Were he a woman, people would be calling him names like 'ditzy' and the dreaded 'emotional' by now. (FTR, nothing is more emotional than a straight white guy howling about #takeaknee.)
Talk about Pete Buttigieg instead, who stands head and shoulders above all the rest. He's the perfect anti-Trump.
46
I don't care if the next president is a woman or man or of what color skin or sexual preference.
I want a President who wants to be President for all of us. And someone who respects the rule of law, and also the arts.
Has Trump ever been in a museum??
51
Yes it is certainly an overall improvement that we're seeing more considered and nuanced definitions of manhood. But "still a ways to go" indeed. The idea that "masculinity" is somehow opposed to "kind" and "responsible" reveals the continuing oversimplification and lack of nuance in mainstream attitudes. I am sure that most people, when thinking of their own fathers and grandfathers, who were sadly more imprisoned by the ridiculous stereotyped definitions of manhood of their eras, know they also displayed plenty of kindness and responsibility. None of this has to be either/or. "Be a good human" is a worthy model.
20
I'm amazed that Trump is regarded as any kind of paragon of masculinity. This is the guy whose daddy got him out of Vietnam by getting a tame doctor to write a letter saying he had bone spurs, for heaven's sake. This is a failed businessman with six bankruptcies whose credit was so bad American banks would no longer lend him money (Tax returns, please!). This is the guy who's in such bad physical shape that he can't even walk the course while playing golf, but drives his cart onto both the tees and greens.
As for the other side, I find myself drawn to Pete Buttigieg, of all people, because he tells it like it is. Consider this quote on Trump:
"Evidence and science are not as popular in this administration, but our lives depend on this administration’s ability to understand and process this information. Your crazy uncle can be amusing, but when you put him in charge it can really leave you at a disadvantage.”
Truer words were never spoke.
8
The author seems to think the US could actually elect a woman president.
Does anyone seriously think that is possible?
5
Sanders is the only chance we have to beat Trump. The sooner the Dems coalesce behind him the better.
11
The Democratic Party is moving towards a campaign goal of
"No Man in the White House"
This will complete its endorsement of identity politics which prejudges individuals based on their identity group.
A campaign tactic based on prejudice and bigotry is a historic disgrace.
5
As a male, I believe we are long overdue for a woman as President -- a strong, powerful woman with empathy, instinct, and extraordinary decision-making ability. I don't know if that describes any current female Democrat who's declared or not.
Unless Trump is run out of office prior to 2020, however, I fear we are in for another run of a near-fascist autocrat dedicated to "a new world order." No woman, or man, alive can stop that madness by then.
2
I so often hear in these pages, including the comments section, that the left doesn’t play identity politics, that’s the racist right. And then I read an article like this, which is explicitly about the gender identity of candidates.
True, this column doesn’t directly speak for the Democratic Party, but it most certainly addressing its base, which not coincidentally will read this story and comment on same, generating clicks and ultimately revenue for the The Times.
I will say that I read other, more conservative publications, and their focus on race and gender pales in comparison. And, you don’t read comments like “I am done voting for white males” with hundreds of upvotes, as if that is somehow an acceptable and non-bigoted thing to say.
Diversity should be celebrated. Hillary Clinton’s candidacy and near smashing of the glass ceiling still brings me to near tears. But I am not celebrating diversity for diversity’s sake. I am not going to vote for a candidate based on race or gender, simply because “that is what the electorate looks like.” In short, I am not going to accept quotas and then paradoxically cite my support for a biracial candidate or female candidate to signify my open mindedness.
I hope the left realizes this annoys, even hardens moderates and pushes swing voters into the arms of a demagogue.
5
Could you just do an article on how “likable” these men are for once? And don’t forget to talk about their clothing, hair and who will take care of their children if they are busy trying to change the world for good.
5
Mr. Dorment relates to a Pew Center survey from last summer: "an overwhelming majority of Americans considered “aggressive” and “masculine” to be negative personality traits while “kind” and “responsible” were viewed positively."
Mr. Dorment's reading of the Pew survey is very selective: Aggressive and masculine are also negative traits for women. Strength and ambition are still very valued traits for men, and seemingly for male presidential candidates.
From the actual survey: "Yet some clear patterns emerged. People said traits related to strength and ambition are especially valued for men in society and that compassion, kindness and responsibility are particularly valued for women."
So what Americans want are strong men and caring women. And what exactly is new about this? Sounds exactly like the old stereotypes.
The survey seemed to also imply somewhat of a fuzziness and lack of consistency in the definition of the traits. And in any case, Pew only asked 4,573 people (rather small sample) and they came up with 1,500 different words.
Mr. Dorment is entitled to his opinion, but to convince us based on the Pew survey seems to be far-fetched.
4
Recent events have made me consider that when someone says “Brother”, they are recognizing how fully human you are, and offering you the love they extend to their own family. When someone use “Bro”, they are probably intending something near the exact opposite.
1
Excellent! Everything is about race...except when it is about gender! Best of all, this helpful presentation of acceptable new standards of "masculinity and power" was paired in the print edition with a piece by Emily Winter ("Making My Fiance 'Queer Eye' Material") ridiculing male stereotypes.
Thank god we've moved on from expecting women to fit predefined roles.
3
The 2020 DEMOCRATIC PARTY presidential field is shaping up to have the most diverse group of candidates Americans have ever seen.
There. Fixed it for you.
4
but are they likable? are they too ambitious? why are they so ambitious? are they shrill? are they too ambitious and too shrill? are they unlikeable because they are too ambitious?
4
At 15 comments as I write this I fear my party-the Democratic Party- is well on the path to defeat given the commenters choices for the candidate --warren is a sure loser; Gabbard and so many others entering the fray with no realistic chance even against Trump
This editorial seems to have been written in another universe where America is happily chugging along with little more at stake in this election than which presidential style looks best on us. Well that’s not the universe we live in. We threaten the world with environmental catastrophe, we threaten ourselves with white supremacy and massive economic imbalance. I want a candidate who can articulate a vision for this country to even exist for more than 100 years, with an ethical compass I can live with. Sorry, not concerned about style.
8
if only testosterone was a "wisdom hormone". But it is NOT at all.
"Yes, indeed," says Mr. Dorment, "Women continue to make historic breakthroughs in American politics. But let's make it all about the guys instead."
1
Notwithstanding that Dorment's Op-Ed is saturated in political correctness (which falls off the table outside the two coasts), the Democratic nomination is going to be a contest between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. The winner is going to challenge Donald Trump in a nail-bitingly close election. All three are old white men. Voter decisions are not going to be oriented around who is the most politically correct or incorrect, who said something good or bad about women (or Muslims, or Jews or illegal immigrants) umpty-teen years ago, but around their policies going forward. The winner has to advance policies that have legs - that can travel to and appeal to voters in rural Arkansas, suburban Pennsylvania, wooded Maine, Chicago and the Florida panhandle. Bernie Sander's socialism will not travel as well as Joe Biden's traditional mainstream Democratic policy prescriptions. Donald Trump has the advantage of being an incumbent President sitting on a very good economy, and no major war anywhere. Joe Biden has a compelling personal story, not because he's politically correct (or less incorrect, or repentant over past political incorrectness), but because of the personal tragedies he has endured. Those candidate advantages or sympathies travel beyond the NYT and the Washington Post (and Fox cable news and Breitbart), and speak to people everywhere. I think we'll be up all night come election day.
1
Whatever happens with the Dems, defeating Trump is critical. if electing a dachshund gets him out of office, so be it.
3
America is long over due for a female president. That said, I will vote for the best candidate, male or female, whatever the ethnicity. If that turns out to be a white male, so be it. It would not be the worst thing in the world if A.O.C. ends up being our first female president. She's growing up fast.
No matter what, we cannot endure another four years of Trump.
4
Again, as in the article on the ages of the male candidates, this one manages not to mention any of the women in the field. Are they not also "diverse"?
Ellen Blais
If any of these boys had to carry, give birth to and nurse a fetus, baby or infant that would mark the end of the human race. Men are emotional, mental and physical hobbits.
Until the advent of DNA no one could be certain who was the " Baby Daddy". While the identity of the " Baby Momma" has never been in doubt.
There are all XX vertebrate and invertebrate species. Insect societies are matriarchal. The biggest longest lived land mammals aka elephants live in matriarchal herds.
1
"It meant domination. It meant solidity. It meant taking risks and holding back tears"
That worked back in the caveman times and it still works now - it's what's needed to move the ball forward.
But what is no longer need is the, "white, heterosexual Christian men in pleated khakis."
Let's not throw out the baby with the bath water.
1
The “dirtbag” left? Are you kidding me?
Some people just can live down the humiliation of Clinton in 2016, and thus cling to whatever ridiculous stereotype sticks to denigrate supporters of Sanders, ever the scapegoat for the worst run campaign in presidential history.
It’s time for the moderate left to let go their misplaced anger over 2016. Sanders may very well be our nominee, and for those who claim “winning” is their most important objective, tearing down the highest polling candidate currently running for president at every opportunity won’t help.
Submitted 2:12pm.
15
The best Democratic candidate in 2016 was Jim Webb, yet the MSM news cartel gave him 15 seconds , yes 15 seconds in the debates.
Jim Webb would have made a great President , look up his credentials .
Fast forward and the MSM news cartel is back at it.
Tusi Gabbard is the one you need to give more then 15 seconds .
Or another opportunity will be lost .
The American Media has too much influence , the wrong influence.
All the world’s a stage etc etc. No matter what costumes we put on we have male bodies and brains.
Even the honest peanut farmer admitted to adultery in his heart.
A famous researcher revealed that both men and women lie when asked to enumerate their sex partners. Men inflate. Women reduce.
Bottom line here, the democrats were taken over by Neo feminists and Hillary in 2016, ie women should get a majority of everything whether they deserve it or even want it and present day man must atone for five million yrs. of existence. That was their number one issue.
The Republican Party was taken over by right wing white bigots and Trump ie America should be rid of any non white non citizens and women should be put back in the bedroom and kitchen. That was their number one issue.
Trump won by a tko.
Americans I think have come to their senses and are tired of identity politics and want anybody white, black, male, female, young, old that have moderate progressive solutions to our problems.
Every know and then the electorate gets it right.
2
Too bad he did not mention Jay Inslee who is directly confronting the biggest threat to this country and the world.
4
America found its best self in electing Obama, but then its worst self in electing Trump, a trend that goes all the way back to the election of Carter - maybe what the country needs is a mediocre president and an end to these good versus evil extreme fluctuations that leave everyone exhausted and less than nothing accomplished.
Why is the NYT writing all these lightweight stories about presidential candidates, as opposed to focusing on substance? I just don't see the point. What "kind of man" is so much less relevant than the character of the man and his ideas. From my perspective, at least so far, the only male candidate of real substance is Senator Sanders from Vermont. He has a tried and true record and doesn't shift his positions based on what he thinks his audience wants to hear.
12
Can we, just for once, use stances on issues as grounds for deciding who should and who should not be president? Which candidate supports and has a plan for which issue should be the *only* focus for any op-ed column on the 2020 election going forward.
(Didn't you do enough damage, NYT, participating in the hysteria about Clinton's emails--to the total and complete exclusion of any discussion of issues? Planning on damaging our country's chances again in 2020, are you? Look at Trump. Look at what you are partly responsible for doing to our country. Two days before the 2016 election, your biggest headline had to do with OMG!! emails!!! emails!!!! emails!!!!!)
I don't care one little bit about the personality of the president--what she eats, wears, etc. I would vote for Mrs. Ronald McDonald as president if I thought she supported universal health care, higher taxes on the 1%, a strong role for government in the creation of a better society, heavy spending on infrastructure, regulation of abuses and health hazards of industry, support for unions, etc. Policy matters. Visitations to nail salons don't.
Henceforth, then, Ross, please identify what the real problems are that plague our country, support your analysis with concrete evidence, do some research into the candidates' positions on those issues, etc. But for crying out loud, no more rubbish about personality and cooking and spiritual fulfillment. Let's all grow up, shall we?
8
You got the cartoon right.
Individual #1 is a charlatan. A fake. A phony.
When it comes time to fire someone in real life, the man does it running away. With a tweet. Or has someone else notify the lucky former employee. The TV CEO is just that; an act.
If I need a "masculine" role model, I'd prefer a TR version; "speak softly and carry a big stick".
For my candidate choice...whomever can get the job done. A woman would be great. POC fine too. An old rumpled mensch; SOLD~!
A dyed in the wool Liberal who owns it best of all.
Change is needed in the worst way. Now is better than soon. Time has just about run out on our humanity clock. The next decade choices are crucial. Stop with the status quo. It's isn't working for ALL.
Vote Blue; no matter who!
3
In many ways, I love this; it's correct that there are a lot of contrasts to the current President's masculine thuggery, and they're each a better model.
But. There's always a but, isn't there?
We go from the likability of the diverse group of women running to the many flavors of manhood we get to choose from this election. I find you left one masculine flavor out: the man sensible enough and likable enough to step aside for a bit.
13
I get what you’re trying to say but honestly your own description of typical men of 40 years ago is a caricature.
I am 58 and was raised to believe “real men” were hardworking, honest, didn’t brag, didn’t bully, and cared about their family. My dad told me Donald Trump was a small, clownish man back the 1980’s.
Maybe these diverse men didn’t run for President back then, but please stop making things in the past so black and white.
And by the way, whatever their political talents , Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale were far from the type of male you describe. My political favorite Senator Pat Moynihan certainly was, too.
41
Here's what we need from either a man or a woman: honesty, trustworthiness, respect for the office, respect for fellow humans, smart, experienced, balanced, curious, well informed, organized, articulate, bright, no criminal thinking errors, no criminal convictions, but convictions, thoughtful and deliberative.
In other words...everything that Trump isn't.
24
As if voters care about whether a president is a man or a woman... The very thought that this is a deciding factor is an insult to every American voter. The people vote for the whole package; the charisma, the policies, the experience, and the strength. Most voters agree that it is past time for a women to be president, but that does not mean that they will vote for a woman, it means that when they vote for the best person for the job, they hope it is a woman. And that is the problem. For a long time neither men or women have presented themselves as the best candidate. Instead of voting for qualities that one admires, most voters have long since fallen into the cynical habit of voting for the lesser of two evils, or not voting at all.
We all have a sense of what that perfect candidate looks like, it is JFK. And since no one ever comes close we pick little aspects of character that give us hope that maybe this one will not be as bad as we fear. The coming crop of women candidates is thin. Besides being women and not Trump, they offer the same grab bag of weakness and corruptibility that we have seen for too long. The only candidate with any integrity seems to be Bernie, who has been fighting the good fight since the stone age, but he is now derided because he was not born young, black, and a female. The people want a face to lead them into the storm and it was Trump last time. This time the voters will go for Number Two who has always tried harder. Bernie's time has come.
6
@Bobotheclown If voters truly don't care about candidates' genders, how do you explain *two hundred and fifty years* of male presidents? Are women simply *that* unsuited to leadership, or might there be, I dunno, some larger structural issues in play? A couple of the women you now deride as just 'more of the same' were cited by fellow Sanders supporters last time around as the kind of woman they'd love to vote for...funny how that has changed now that they're actually running, isn't it?
Also, it's insulting to imply that Sanders is criticized only for "not being born young, black, and a female." Personally, I am not looking for "a face to lead me into the storm." I'm looking for a practical, smart leader with a firm grasp of policy...and that actually gives me multiple options in the current field. Sanders simply doesn't measure up on that axis to some of the others.
(Pretty sure he was born young, by the way.)
4
@Bobotheclown
Has there been a female U.S. president? No.
Were vile, vicious and violent misogynist threats made against Hillary Clinton not just by the GOP in 2008 and 2016 (and certainly since even prior to 1992), but by the Barack Bros and Bernie Bros. Yes.
So gender is an issue. Males made it an issue, given that men would not allow women to vote for the first 144 years of this nation based upon the 100% same brand of misogyny that remains deep at the core of much that is rotted in American society today.
1
I love this piece..it's not meant as a complex scholarly study but as an opinion piece drawing public attention to the changes in models for men and women.
And though I would love to see a woman win (was a huge supporter of HRC) I actually lean toward Cory and Pete Buttigeig more than the women currently running.
So yes to shifting archetypes and opening up spaces for more expressions of both genders to come forward with all of who we are.
Thanks for writing!
9
This article is superficial under the guise of presenting complexity. Trump used the word 'love' a lot in his 2016 campaign. Of course Trump meant something quite different than Booker does. We need to see the candidates and their masculinity or femininity in the context of their overall personas, policy positions, and their supporters' receptivity to various ideas and images. We won't understand why certain voters support particular candidates if we rely on cute one-off articles like this that pull a single factor out of context.
9
Essentially we need a leader who understands that while it is a good thing that our citizens seek enlightenment and equity in their existence as Americans, most humans on the planet view that quest as a luxury.
The next phase of American leadership must address both local and global injustice. That is the only hope we have of healing the wounds we opened as a result of electing Donald Trump.
13
I have been watching Biden on how he positions himself here. He has lots of ritual and formulaic ways and overall probably sincere ways of acknowledging and including women in general and in particular in almost every speech. He has the formula. He expresses emotion. I think it also goes with his nature. I myself was repelled by his kowtowing to Cynthia Nixon and apologizing for saying that Mike Pence was a decent man. He later informally withdrew that apology by saying that it was a strange world where you had to apologize for saying something nice about someone.
In the end, though, I will vote on the issues and policies rather than the degree of whatever gender quality is in fashion. I do want someone who will face up to the lies of our enemies. I want someone who will stand up to China the way Trump has. Our security is not what it should be. That is a serious matter, and we need someone who understands what is happening and will take aggressive action.
I can easily imagine a man or a woman taking this on. I wish that the Dems could carve off a little of HRC's toughness and graft it on to one of their nice candidates. I worry that the Dems and especially the progressives wing are too focused on fighting their fellow Americans and sometimes their own Country and less about seeing the world as it is and getting real.
9
@Nathan
Give the progressive wing some credit for recognizing their fellow American is in dire straights.
Not so much the NYT commentators et al.
When 64% can't afford a $1000. emergency; something is wrong here at home.
Yes, the rest of the world out there is a mess too.
Yet we ignore the 40% of 'Merica that is struggling to come up with $400.
Acknowledged that the world as it is needs work, and getting real about it.
We are living our own version of "getting real about it" right here in the USA.
We've ignored our own family the past 40yrs. Might it be time to look inwards for a change? We've heard promises and bromides yet We The People haven't felt of seen much of it.
The Progressive wing has acknowledged that.
11
@Nathan: As President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Biden was completely out to lunch while Mitch McConnell quashed Obama's agenda.
3
When we talk about the "divides" among Americans, this is perhaps the most foundational of all--whether one believes males should be "men" or "human." And there are males and females on both sides of that divide. A tribalist culture of fear and insecurity needs "real men" to protect the "women and children" from outside threat. An open culture of confidence and self-esteem that embraces diversity allows for males to be humans. I vote for the latter.
25
At a gut level, I judge men (and women, too, for that matter) by whether I would entrust myself to their care in a crisis. Would they be calm under pressure, would they see what needs to done, would they act unselfishly, would they be competent? For me, the candidate who most exudes that vibe is Afghanistan-war veteran Pete Buttigieg. Not so surprising, really.
43
@Marianne me too!
2
Any of these men would be far superior to Donald Trump. But several of the women would be a better President than either of these Democratic male candidates. Harris has the prosecutorial chops and quick wits to take down Trump in the debates and clean up his and his cronies crimes after elected. Warren has the smarts to fix capitalism and the ego that will allow her to work with other smart people. Two examples among several of true extraordinary women candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.
2020 is the time for Democrats to not only put a smart, savvy woman at the head of the ticket, but also to do the work necessary to elect her both in the popular and electoral votes.
51
@Pat Choate
Not exactly. In fact, not even close. 2020 is the time to nominate the candidate best able to address the multiple problems facing our nation.
It matters not one whit if that candidate is white, black, brown, or green. I would suggest we eliminate orange.
It matters not one whit if the candidate is male or female.
We need a candidate willing to take a strong stand on Medicare for All, the $15 hour minimum wage, climate change, income inequality, our horrible tax policy, and other key issues.
The very LAST thing we need is to vote on identity and repeat the 2016 debacle. That guarantees Trump a second term.
8
interesting article, but it focuses on the superficial. One person likes mani/pedis while another likes Scotch. That's the stuff that anyone can adopt or drop at a whim.
What it lacks is an assessment of the most important characteristic for the job: leadership.
Put aside whether the person is a "dude", "bro", or "geek". Are they a leader? Do they have courage? Through their service, can they provide a country with what it needs rather than what it wants? Can they unify disparate points of view in a common good? Can they order people into danger while retaining a sense of empathy?
Leadership transcends gender, age, and the demographic information. It's a real character trait.
75
@Steve Williams If these are your definitions of leadership (and I happen to agree with you), you may want to look into our former Governor. Hick was a maddeningly at times non-partisan, and the reason for this is he was always looking first for the common good. Actual reflection on the causes and consequences of issues these days requires great courage, and I think if Hickenlooper remains true to himself he may be the best true leader of the bunch.
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@Steve Williams
There is one candidate out there who has all the traits you mentioned, the one who has stood up against the sea of conservative politics his whole life. He has kept the faith and he is still there. If you want leadership and courage he has demonstrated it for years.
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@Brian in CO I grew up in Dever and still have family there and love Hick too...so far Pete B has my support and Cory as well but any of them would be so much better than our current disaster in chief. Sad.
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I won't be voting based on the gender, religion or the age of the candidate. It's nice to see so much talent in the race, but I do wish some of them had waited a while and gotten a bit more experience before taking this on.
I remember Biden crushing Palin in a vp debate - he is incredibly smart and articulate. Let's see if the first debate is more circus than substance - the R primary in 2016 certainly was, and we ended up with a clown in the White House.
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@Jsw
Anyone compared with Sarah Palin is incredibly smart and articulate. Biden is a lucky white guy who was able to opportunistically glad hand and play ball with the other boys on Congress in order to transcend the Peter Principle + make his milions. He is box of rocks, not a Rhodes Scholar.
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When my mother and sister were very actively campaigning for passage of the ERA in the 1970's, we discussed how passage would require not only women with changed attitudes who could live such new opportunities, but men with equally changed attitudes who could work with, love, and raise families with such women. I have striven to be such a man.
One area where I have succeeded is raising our children. I am and have been on excellent terms with all of them through growing up and now as successful adults. Another area has been in the workplace where I have quietly and sometimes loudly, pushed for equal womens' pay, family responsibilities support, and advancement, and for workplace diversity generally, often against strong and sometimes angry resistance.
Democratic male candidates need to be such men. They must live the life of equal treatment, not using their wives as trophies or 'political wife' cutouts, and must not chase interns or other vulnerable co-workers. My parents showed me that we should and must expect and demand higher standards from our elected leaders, and they walked that walk.
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Men have always been varied in their behaviors and attitudes. It is the uncritical acceptance of their stereotyped portrayal in the media as a homogeneous group, that is the issue.
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If any of these men had Elizabeth Warren's policy ideas, they'd be the absolute front runner and Trump would be toast. The men have diversity - whoopee. Let's see someone who can think like Warren, who really came from nothing and is as self made as they come. Why isn't there a "self-made woman" myth. Sigh.
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@CarolSon
All Warren's needs is a good stylist. To be president, you must be somewhat majestic, have class and style. You must show that you have dignity. Stand up taller, Elizabeth, use your good posture.
The president mixes with all strata of mankind, that is why your choice in clothing must say "elegance." People in all levels respect elegant dress.
Warren is actually a good-looking woman. Her persona is warm, genuine and intelligent. She has an admirable track record. She simply needs to up her game, to show that she can mix, with grace and dignity, amongst the highest levels of governing, wealth and talent in the world.
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@NotKidding Call me shallow as a woman, but I absolutely agree with you. This is the age of exposure. With all of her talents and knowledge, she still needs a stylist.
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There are actually many examples of the "self made-woman" archetype. However, many of them fit another archetype and are therefore pushed into that category. These are examples the "1st Woman to" meme. From Sandra Day O'Conner and Sally Ride to almost Hillary we value being the 1st (American) woman to do something important more than the accomplishments it took her to get there. Likewise, mostly with men, we see being the "1st black to" or "1st .... to" as more important than what struggles it took that person to get there. Jackie Robinson (Olympian), Cassius Clay (Olympian), Thurgood Marshall (great trial lawyer), are each remembered for something else. Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglas are not remembered for their experiences as slaves.
There have been many self-made women, but the ones we remember were mostly also "1sts".
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The focus on the 2020 elections has been almost exclusively on replacing Trump as president. As important (or perhaps more so) are the US Senate races. The Democrats need only pick up a net of 4 seats out of 33 contested races to gain a majority, even if Trump is reelected. Democrats should not put all of their eggs in one basket.
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@Dave
It will be obvious to all but 3-4 (maybe less) of the candidates that they have no hope by mid-February of 2020. Those that drop out are free to run for Senate. You'll notice Marco Rubio had no problems in 2016, despite having first dropped out of the Senate race to run for president in 2015. Their time on the national stage may well benefit them in terms of name recognition and fund-raising networks.
I personally favor Hickenlooper as a presidential nominee, for instance. He is a long-shot, and likely to be overshadowed by Biden (who I think is a poor choice) amongst the centrists. I understand that he would make a strong candidate for the Colorado Senate seat that will be up for grabs, but if he was to turn to that by sometime in March, I don't see the problem. He does not need time to introduce himself to Colorado voters.
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@Dave
Exactly correct. Bernie is likely to win in a landslide and he will easily take the Senate back.
Note a couple of things. Bernie is the head of the largest, by far, political party - the Independents.
And only he can best gin up Turnout from that 50% of the electorate (including the youth energy) who do not vote. Those potential new voters are a huge reserve. They do not vote, because what's the point? He could change that; he may be old but he's not the same old. He is an anti-politician. And every Trump voter is already a declared Trump voter - Trump has no reserve at all, Bernie does.
As for "Socialism," that's exactly what you want. More people say they like socialism than capitalism now. And there's no one more socialist than Bernie.
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@Dave
That is why there is such a strong push on replacing Trump as president. If the Democrats can sweep the election and drive Trump out of office they may also be able to sweep Congress as well. The Republicans have shown it can be done, it is time for the Democrats to unite and show they have learned how. If the next Democratic president can be given full control of government he/she will be able to accomplish much more than Obama was willing to attempt during his brief time in total power. The people will give the entire government to a party but only if they think that party will run with the ball. Obama sat on the 50 yard line for two years and was rewarded with a Republican Congress that nullified his last six years in office. That is a lesson that every Democratic candidate should learn. If they win, the people expect a transformative liberal revolution, not more moderate business as usual. Of the current candidates only Bernie guarantees a liberal revolution beyond just more talk. It has taken the politicians awhile to understand that the people are not going to vote for a moderate in todays climate (see Hillary's campaign results for particulars). They want the liberal hero's of the past (JFK) or they want to burn the house down (Trump). Bernie has it in him to rise to the challenge and lead the country in a war back to the New Deal and prosperity. Lets hope the deadwood in the political establishment will get out of the way.
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Thanks for writing about the men in this election. Sometimes as a white male it feels as if you’re being ostensibly asked to ‘not comment’. The demography of this group of men reflects perfectly the cultural changes happening in American society. For that reason I do feel that we need Beto or Booker as president. And for the women, how about a Beto/Harris or a Booker/Warren ticket.
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@Dan Do the women not reflect the "cultural changes" in society? Why on earth would you be so eager to relegate them to the second spot? "As for the women..." yikes.
@Dan
Yes, we must stop scapegoating the white man. Goodness. White Man, for many of us, no matter our color or religion, is our husband, father, co-worker or neighbor. Why not simply try to have those conversations? Reaching out and being civil might do a whole lot to lower the global warming (of hostility, defensiveness, blaming).
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@Dan or a Warren/Booker, Harris/Beto, or Abrams/Buttigieg ticket ;))
Yes they are diverse, but so are the women running. Anyway, I'm voting for Elizabeth Warren, she's got her act together with a plan.
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@cherrylog754
Warren/Beto. The Professor and Her earnest, telegenic
Young Apprentice. Works for me.
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@cherrylog754
And about 2% of likely voters agree with you.
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All these fluff pieces do is help Trump.
I don't care about masculinity or femininity. I care about who has the best policies to help create a society, and most importantly, an economy, that works for us all.
That's why I'm supporting Bernie Sanders; Andrew Yang; and Tulsi Gabbard.
So can we please stop with the fluff pieces and fast forward to the substance??
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@G.Janeiro
I have been waiting to vote for Bernie for a long time, it is gratifying that it seems like the whole country has come around.
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@G.Janeiro
Yeah, Bernie really needs to up his game. No more Albert Einstein hair. No more old-man muttering. We're talking about president of the United States, man! You can't be Mr. Frumpy from Vermont if you want to hang out with the world leaders. You need a bit of elegance and grace.
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@G.Janeiro If most citizens voted on substance, not style, Trump would be nowhere near the White House. You'll just have to tolerate "fluff" as an inevitable part of politics.
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