Vice President Harris has already made significant waves in political gender norms as the second woman to earn a major party's nomination for president. She hopes to crush those norms by becoming the first woman president in U.S. history.
So, will people vote for her just because she's a woman? And will people vote against her for the same reason?
Christina Reynolds from Emily's List, a national organization dedicated to helping elect female lawmakers, told KNX News' daily political show Countdown 2024 "we know that America will elect a woman because they have across the country."
Listen here:
Reynolds said more and more women are winning up and down the ballot across red and blue states, "So we know that America will vote for a woman."
On the question of a woman taking the highest office in the nation, Reynolds said, "Are there people who are not voting for her because of her gender? That's entirely possible. I'm not sure they were open to Democrats to begin with, but that's entirely possible."
She believes the more significant challenge for women is how political mudslinging is directed more at attacking gender or "aimed at making her seem different than what we've always elected in the past."
On the flip side, Reynolds believes more women are voting for Harris not simply because she is a woman but because "her gender is a strength, particularly when it comes to the issue of reproductive freedom, that she is a tireless advocate on that issue."
Ultimately, Reynolds said there are a wide variety of reasons why a man might not support Harris, or any woman for president, saying, "Is there a is there sexism in America? Absolutely. Is there racism in America? Of course, there is. Does that impact a black woman running for president? Of course, it does."
However, she believes that Harris's dedication to "looking out for all Americans as opposed to a very limited sliver that Donald Trump has been appealing to" is appealing to many male voters.
To Republicans who do not want to vote for Trump but have reservations about Harris or the Democratic party in general, Reynolds says, "Understand that it may not mean that you're changing your party. It may not mean that you agree with this candidate on every issue."
She encourages everyone to vote for the person who represents the country regardless of gender or race.
Listen to the full episode above to hear more arguments for and against Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and catch new episodes of Countdown 2024 live at 2:30 p.m. every weekday through Election Day.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
