Nathan Ramani ‘27
There is still gender bias and discrimination despite what many people say. It is kind of difficult to tell where that line is drawn, and some people can hide their bias by saying they don’t like her policies or character. Unfortunately, I think being a woman still weakens a candidate’s chances, though not as much as it used to. I think Harris has had to be careful not to exacerbate that problem by talking about breaking barriers. For instance, she hasn’t spoken much about breaking barriers being the first female president or being the first person of South Asian descent to be president. I think that’s kind of where most of the bias and discrimination lies in our society today, and that’s how it’ll affect this election.
Lucas Benardarte ‘26
1. In what ways do you think Kamala Harris’ gender is playing a role in her campaign?
I think that gender has and will play a role. The U.S. has never had a female President in its 248-year history, even though it’s been over a century since women’s suffrage was passed through the 19thAmendment. Additionally, with abortion rights as a major issue in the upcoming election, candidates’ genders will play a role in public perception.
In what ways do you think Donald Trump’s stance on abortion is affecting his presidential campaign?
Looking at the numbers, Abortion isn’t simply a partisan issue. In a recent Gallup Poll on Abortion, it showed that about 85% of the population think Abortion should be fully legal, or legal in most circumstances. That same poll showed that only around 12% of the population advocates for strong bans on abortion. By tying himself and his campaign to the anti-abortion movement, going so far as for him to say that “I was able to kill Roe v. Wade,” Trump is allying himself to a fringe element of our Nation to vie for their vote at the expense of many moderate votes. It’s my opinion that Trump’s stances on abortion would hurt his campaign’s chances overall rather than help.
2. Do you think gender issues (such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade) will be enough to tip this presidential election in one way or another?
As mentioned, gender issues and other social issues are at the forefront of the American mindset currently. Matters such as LGBTQ protections, abortion rights, and other civil rights have been attacked recently in our nation, and that obviously drives voter turnout. Given the current polarization of our countries political system, I don’t think many people would switch sides on gender issues alone. I do however feel that gender and other social issues can propel increased voter turnout and participation on both sides.
Karen Douyon
Kamala Harris’s gender is playing a role in this election because it is a pivotal point in American democracy to have a woman this close to winning the election, since Hillary Clinton and Shirly CHisolm. I think societally, it will be a really big shock considering we have never had a woman president in all the years of American democracy. I think that it is a focal point for a lot of people who are super excited for that prospect to pave a way for young women to be in politics moving forward. I think it is scary to some people who are used to something different, and I think there’s space to be held for both. Also, criticisms could be had for why people think it shouldn’t take place based on her gender alone, and not her qualifications.
Gender issues are affecting Donald Trump’s campaign in two different ways. One could say in a positive way, because there are groups of individuals who support his belief system, so that pushes his campaign forward. He has a big following of people who agree with him, and it’s driving his campaign. In a negative way, there’s a group of people who don’t agree, who feel like women should have autonomy over their bodies. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with, I believe women should be able to choose what happens with their bodies, whether it is for or against, they should have that choice. Therefore, I think that that is affecting Trump’s campaign negatively because there’s a lot of women, men, and gender-non conforming people who feel blatantly that women should have autonomy.
I believe that gender issues should be enough to tip this election in one way, as opposed to another, but I think in some spaces, it won’t be. However, I think that there are issues that are just as pressing, like climate change or inflation, that create a bigger picture of what the next four years could look like. I think that all of these things combined should be enough to tip the election. Roe V. Wade has been such a divisive issue, and divided the country in half that I think it would tip the election by a small margin. Not to say that Roe is not an important issue because it is of the utmost importance, that we should talk about more frequently than we are.
