CNN hosts discussed Wednesday how the Democratic National Convention is trying to reach men who are less "testosterone-laden," with Gov. Tim Walz and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.
"The gender gap in American politics has been trending very strongly for years. But this year, at least according to polls, it is so strong," CNN’s Jake Tapper said. "The women vote is overwhelmingly for Harris. The male vote, overwhelmingly for Trump, though not as much."
Co-host Dana Bash agreed and noted how the Democrats are trying a different tactic than the last time a woman was at the top of their ticket.
"Yes and there’s the gender gap, then there’s the idea that for the last month, the Democratic Party has been rallying around a woman at the top of the ticket," she said. "Which is- the only other time they did it, which is in 2016. And it has been noteworthy to see how they are learning about what to do and how to confront Donald Trump as the opponent to a woman. 2016 and now, very different campaigns, very different female candidates."
This time, Bash said, Democrats are trying to appeal to men who might not be as masculine as their Republican counterparts.
"But they are doing so in trying to put forward male figures, Tim Walz being one of them, Doug Emhoff last night, who can speak to men out there who might not be the sort of testosterone-laden, y’know, gun-toting kind of guy who wants to listen to Hulk Hogan and the kind of players that came out at the RNC or might want to listen to that," she said.
"But also, in addition, understand that it’s okay in 2024 to be a man comfortable in his own skin who supports a woman, and that is something they are really trying to work on with male voters beyond the base."
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Tapper agreed, noting they had been speaking earlier about "different definitions of masculinity in 2024 and what we saw at the Trump convention," recalling someone describing the RNC as "’testosterone-y’ with Kid Rock and the Ultimate Fighting Champion guy [Dana White] and Hulk Hogan."
