I never thought this was possible, but it happened. I also thought, along many others, that Trump was done when he lost to Biden in 2020.
But he’s made a historic comeback and completely destroyed his competition, Kamala Harris. Along the way, many crazy things happened and I ought to record those that shook me:
1. Trump got shot and survived. Apparently there was another assassination attempt. The picture he took immediately after he was shot was historic. He looked defiant and fearless, and I was moved by it too.
2. Biden and Trump debate: Biden was incompetent and was destroyed by Trump. Some had been calling Biden to drop out for a while and that debate confirmed he had to go.
3. Biden dropped out and gave way to Harris, who only had 100ish days to build and win the campaign.
4. DNC was spectacular. It felt joyful, hopeful, and energising.
5. Taylor Swift endorsed Harris. I thought that would tip it and help Harris win.
6. Harris casted a wide net and received support from “Liz Warren to Liz Cheney.”
7. Trump, on the other hand, got support from Big Tech, Joe Rogan, and most importantly, Elon Musk. Musk attended rallies and executed a ground game that apparently was very effective. Ben Thompson summed it up nicely here.
8. Towards the end, I began to fear that Harris was going to lose. I stopped reading and listening to anything about the election with about a week to go. The polls were still very close even though I thought Harris should be leading more. The reality of Trump winning began to set in.
I can understand why people voted for Trump. Frankly, I often have strong emotional reactions towards some ideas of feminism, equality, and criticism of masculinity. I have tried to rationalise my way through these emotions, but those emotions were real and prevalent. I have long concluded that I had those feelings because I have been socialised for years to feel a certain way about being a man. I try to remind myself that not all feelings are right, that not all feelings are useful, and that many of my instinctive emotions are relics of millions of years of being hunter-gatherers surviving in the jungle. I remind myself that civility includes choosing how to act upon our emotions. But still, those emotions are strong and frequent.
So I cannot imagine how civil, wise, or rational I might be if I were up against these negative emotions coupled with all the feelings that come from not being as wanted in jobs, not being protected from a seemingly open border, and having to deal with rising food prices all on my own. I don’t know if I could remain civil and rational if everyone around me, especially my guy friends, were sharing the same feelings. I am certain that at some point, when there are enough people experiencing the same thing, I too would begin to accept what I feel as accurate and useful.
And it’s hard. It’s hard to try to be “bigger” and embrace all the complex ideas around feminism and masculinity. There’s a fear of being accused of misogyny, of being labeled as someone who “mansplains,” and of facing disdain and disapproval from those around me. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m not particularly skilled at discussing my weaknesses or sharing my emotions—especially when some of these weaknesses and emotions involve thoughts I know might be ridiculed or criticized.
Talking about these topics often feels risky. I often feel trapped, accused of overlooking my privileges as a male, and told that my feelings are outdated or invalid when discussing these topics with female counterparts. And the only “safe” space to express these feelings is often with my guy friends, where we can let loose and be our most raw, unfiltered selves—like a bunch of guys in a locker room. I know this kind of outlet isn’t helpful, but I don’t know how else to free myself from this trap.
So I might understand why some men might have voted for Trump. What I know nothing about is the women who voted for Trump. I struggle to understand why any woman would be okay to have him as their president. I want to understand them.
More exit polls results: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/politics/2020-2016-exit-polls-2024-dg
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