Polls show women didn’t save Harris at the ballot box

Exit polls conducted by CNN showed the Democratic vice president had an eight-point lead among women voters, but that was nearly half of what Joe Biden achieved four years ago.

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On the other hand, the former and future Republican president had a 13-point lead over his male opponent, up from eight points when he faced Biden in 2020.

For example, a CNN exit poll shows Harris’s dominance among black women voters, while Trump did better with white women.

“The Harris campaign’s strong focus on abortion likely motivated some women to vote, but the issue alone was not enough to get a wide range of women to vote for Harris,” Kareem said.

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⁠Immigration and economics

Natalie Feldgan, a New York lawyer, said she believes it is time for Trump to return to the Oval Office.

“A country has no borders. It’s not a country,” said Feldgan, who was convinced by the Republican’s harsh anti-immigration rhetoric.

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The economy – and inflation in particular – also played a major role in the election.

In many American households, women are the primary shoppers, and they have felt the pressure as prices for basic goods have skyrocketed.

“I have five children and the economy has been bad for the last three and a half years,” Tessa Bonet, a 51-year-old Guyanese immigrant living in New York City at Trump’s giant Madison Square Garden, told AFP. rally.

“I’m here for change and my eyes are wide open,” she said. “Trump means good for us—yes, for ordinary Americans.”

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Harris hasn’t made her identity as a black woman of South Asian descent a major part of the campaign, relying on surrogates like former first lady Michelle Obama, former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney or celebrities like Beyoncé to do it for her.

But neither Obama’s powerful feminist speeches nor the support of pop megastar Taylor Swift prevented Trump from winning a decisive victory, despite repeated sexist remarks he made about his opponent.

Just a week ago, he caused a stir by declaring at an anti-crime campaign rally: “I want to protect the women of our country… whether they like it or not.”

⁠’Gender dynamics’

Trump, 78, even called Harris, 60, “mentally disabled” and “retarded” and suggested that if elected, she would become a “toy” for other world leaders.

At the last minute, Harris’ campaign tried to gamble that conservative women would secretly vote for her despite their husbands’ misgivings, but the strategy failed.

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The ad, funded by a progressive Christian group and narrated by Oscar winner Julia Roberts, shows a woman voting for Harris – and hiding it from her apparently Trump-leaning husband.

“In the only place in America where women still have the right to choose, you can vote however you want and no one will ever know,” Roberts says.

“Did you make the right choice?” the husband asks his wife, who replies, “Of course, honey,” exchanging a smile and a wink with another female voter.

“It was an attractive idea, but we now know it’s just wishful thinking,” said Alex Kina, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

According to Karim, “the gender dynamic is not just about women, but also about the masculine appeal that Trump has for a wide range of men.”

Exit polls showed that Trump received support from Latino voters, while Biden had a significant lead among that portion of the electorate four years ago.