I write to share some personal thoughts on the recent US presidential election. I begin with a discussion of oppression in this country and then I attempt to link it to the way that people voted in this election. I conclude with a hypothetical outcome that might have been realized in the absence of racism and sexism.

 

We continue to live in a society wherein people are oppressed based upon race, gender, socioeconomic status, abledness, sexual orientation, height, weight, “beauty,” and more. These illegitimate forms of exclusion/oppression/discrimination are perpetuated by institutions within society (i.e., (1) educational; (2) religious, including churches; (4) legal; (5) military, including local, state and national forces; (6) cultural; (7) economic, including banks and credit unions; (8) health; (9) political, including the legal system; (10) social; and more. These institutions work in concert with each other to maintain the oppression of the citizens of the US (and others who may happen to be within these borders), based upon these aforementioned illicit forms of exclusion. We are all affected by this oppression. It is so powerful and all-encompassing, that our thinking and behavior are affected -- sometimes without our even knowing it. Here are a few examples. 

 

When women first entered the field of gynecology/obstetrics, they (consciously or unconsciously) perpetuated (and in many cases, still perpetuate) the sexist nature of that field (e.g., the examination position, that is designed with the comfort of the doctor in mind, with no consideration for the comfort of the patient/woman; the overutilization of cesarean births, again, with the interest of the doctor in mind. (And, once a woman has a cesarean birth, the likelihood of a vaginal birth in the future is substantially reduced.) Also, until recently, little if any consideration was given to a women’s concern about “morning sickness.” The doctor would give them one “remedy” and, if that didn’t work, they’d give them another remedy and on and on. Often, there was/is little or no consideration for the side effects of these drugs. A second example of how these “isms” affect us is a bit more personal.

 

Living in the US, I believe that I am, by definition, a sexist. That is because of sexism’s tremendous impact on each of us. While I do not believe that women should be oppressed because they are women, I am still a sexist because that practice -- sexism -- is perpetuated throughout the country and is instilled in each of us -- consciously and unconsciously. (However, for more than 50 years, I have painstakingly struggled against my sexism, on a daily basis. And, for example, earlier in my professional life, when I would enter a new work environment, I would encourage those around me to call me out when I did something that may have been perceived as sexist.  I still have to be called out -- though infrequently -- but, more often, I catch myself.) What does all of this have to do with the 2024 US presidential election?

 

First, I thought, and told several people, that Kamala Harris was going to win the 2024 US presidential election, though I thought it would be close. Despite the fact that I was disappointed, I am not very surprised by the way that it turned out. Let me explain. 

 

Let’s take a(nother) look at the gender and racial breakdown of the results on a national level. 

 

 

Subgroup	Voted for Trump	Voted for Harris	Voted for Other
White males	59%	39%	2%
White females	52%	47%	1%
Black males	20%	78%	2%
Black females	7%	92%	1%
Latinx males	54%	44%	2%
Latinx females	37%	61%	2%

 

 

I am not conducting a scientific study here. I am sharing what I believe, based upon the widescale oppression that exists in the US. Why would 59% of White men have voted for Donald Trump? Here are some probable reasons: (1) they thought that he would do a better job with the economy (Recall the widescale distribution of personal and business checks that were issued to deal with COVID and recall the reduced gas and grocery prices during the first Trump presidency.), (2) they did not think that Harris had enough relevant experience, (3) they did not have enough time to evaluate Harris’ platform. Let me add a fourth reason. They did not think that a women could effectively lead the country. And some White men, I believe, more particularly, did not believe that a Black women could effectively lead the country. Personally, I believe that this reason, consciously considered or not, was a major reason that White men voted for Trump.  Moreover, I would say that half of the 59% of White men who voted for Trump did so for this reason. Absent sexism and racism, then, following my logic, Trump would have only gotten 29.5% of the votes of White men. I argue that a similar logic is at play regarding White women, and with each of the groups in the Table 1. 

 

I believe that about half of the Latinx men who voted for Trump did so because they did not believe that a women could effectively lead the country AND/OR they did not believe that a Black woman could lead the country.  Sexism, I believe, was an issue, but so was racism. Following this logic, I would argue that half of the Latinx men who voted for Trump (27%) would have voted for Harris -- absent sexism and racism. To pursue this logic further, absent racism and sexism, (1) half of the Latinx women who voted for Trump (18.5%) would have voted for Harris, (2) half of the Black men who voted for Trump (10%) would have voted or Harris, and (3) half of the Black women who voted for Trump (3.5%) would have voted for Harris. 

 

Following my argument regarding the impact of sexism and racism on the US presidential election results, absent sexism and racism, the results might well have been very different. Table 2 below shows what actually happened compared with what might have happened, absent racism and sexism.

 

 

Subgroup	Actually Voted for Trump	Hypothetically Voted for Trump	Actually Voted for Harris	Hypothetically Voted for Harris	Voted for Other
White Males	59%	29.9%	39%	68.5%	2%
White Females	52%	25%	47%	73%	1%
Black Males	20%	10%	78%	88%	2%
Black Females	7%	3.5%	92%	93.5%	1%
Latinx Males	54%	27%	44%	71%	2%
Latinx Females	37%	18.5%	61%	79.5%	2%