(CTN News) – Senior political analyst Mark Murray analyses the growing gender divide in the race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in today’s episode. Additionally, we report on the reexamination of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a vice presidential candidate, on his stance on abortion rights.
The Harris-Trump contest’s gender disparity is growing.
Following President Joe Biden’s resignation from the 2024 campaign, several national and battleground state surveys reveal a much tighter fight than what was seen following his lacklustre debate performance.
However, another significant finding from these surveys is the stark gender disparity between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, which, in some circumstances, is greater than that which existed between 2016 and 2020.
Consider the most recent Siena College/New York Times survey. When it comes to potential female voters, Harris leads Trump by 14 points (55% to 41%), while among males, Trump leads by 17 points (56% to 39%). There is a net gender disparity of 31 points.
The difference is even more pronounced in the most recent Quinnipiac University survey, where males are supporting Trump by 23 points (60% to 37%) while women are voting for Harris by 16 points (56% to 40%). (Note: Before and after Biden withdrew from the 2024 contest, a Quinnipiac survey was taken.)
A staggering 39 points separates the sexes. In contrast, during the 2016 election between Trump and Hillary Clinton, an exit poll conducted by NBC News revealed a net gender disparity of 24 points. After the 2020 Biden-Trump debate, that number was 23 points in the exit poll.
More current polls now indicate a narrowing gender disparity. Trump and Harris were separated by 16 points in a national CNN survey, while NPR/PBS/Marist’s poll showed a difference of only 4 points.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the margin of error for this kind of demographic deep dive is higher, so results will inevitably vary from survey to survey.
Overall, however, these new surveys highlight how Trump’s lead among males is greater than Harris’s advantage among women and how a growing gender divide may play a big role in the next Harris-Trump contest.
Andy Beshear, the governor of Kentucky, has an advantage over Harris in the contest for Harris’ running mate: as a Democrat who won reelection in a state that Donald Trump swept by more than 20 percentage points, Beshear can appeal to moderate voters.
In part, Beshear’s 2023 campaign was successful because he emphasised his support for abortion rights in a state where the practice is virtually outlawed. However, some Kentucky proponents of reproductive rights believe that Beshear has not gone far enough on a matter that is crucial to the party nationally, which may affect his prospects of being selected on the presidential ticket.
Referring to the expectations for a Democratic governor in a conservative state, “the low bar here doesn’t help him,” said Savannah Trebuna, the abortion fund director at Kentucky Health Justice Network, a reproductive rights organization with headquarters in Louisville.
She went on, “Yes, he’s doing better than a conservative would, and I’m thankful for that.” “How that record will appear on a national platform, though, worries me.”
Critics refer to Beshear’s selection of Democratic lieutenant governor Jacqueline Coleman, a self-described “personally pro-life” person, as well as his emphasis on rare cases when discussing abortion and the fact that his administration has avoided collaborating extensively with state reproductive rights organizations.
According to a source involved in the effort, Beshear’s team wanted to focus more on the unpopular Republican incumbent and less on abortion in their ads during his first gubernatorial campaign in 2019. Beshear’s allies and reproductive rights groups clashed behind closed doors over what message to run in the ads.
The question is whether having a governor who has succeeded on the subject in a conservative state, as a result of Beshear’s strategy, would be advantageous or detrimental in that it would muddy the Democrats’ message.
“I believe that everyone is searching for the ideal applicant. Former Kentucky Representative John Yarmuth said, “There is no such thing.” “Issue voters are not those who can be convinced at this juncture.
You’ve already decided whether you’re an issue voter. They are more instinctive voters, which is why I believe Andy has a huge advantage because of his overwhelming sensitivity.
Source: Yahoo News
