Bro voters say they have abandoned Democrats as party ignores their issues and muddles meaning of being a ‘man'
Hot-button topics, such as economic anxiety in combination with uncertainty over cultural issues, have led to a crisis among male voters, according to a study carried out by the SAM project (Speaking with American Men).
It was previously reported that Democrats have spent $20 million on the project, with donors and strategists being holed up in luxury hotel rooms brainstorming how to convince working-class men to return to the party.
The SAM project aims to 'study the syntax, language and content that gains attention and virality in these spaces.'
Preliminary results, shared with Politico, show that ' Democrats are seen as weak, whereas Republicans are seen as strong,' according to Ilyse Hogue, co-founder of the SAM project.
'Young men also spoke of being invisible to the Democratic coalition, and so you've got this weak problem and then you've got this, 'I don't think they care about me' problem, and I think the combination is kind of a killer.'
The survey, which included 23 percent self-described Democrats, 28 percent Republicans and 36 percent independents, also found that the conflicting cultural definitions of masculinity put men in a 'no-win situation around the meaning of 'a man'.'
One respondent described Democrats as embracing 'the fluid masculinity of being, like, empathetic and sensitive,' while 'Republicans are more like, the traditional masculinity of a provider, strong, and the machismo type.'
In addition, the combination with general concerns over the economy, which proved to be a successful campaigning point for Donald Trump during the election, made 'traditional milestones', including buying a house and having children, 'feel impossible.'
This combination of concerns may be contributing to the decline in male support for the party, with SAM's national survey finding that just 27 percent of young men view the Democratic Party positively.
The promotion of Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate may also have had some bearing, the project's findings suggested.
Democratic firm Catalist found that in 2024, the gender gap between men and women voting for the Democrats was 13 points, after men's support dropped by 6 points to 42 percent – the lowest on record in recent elections.
One Latino man from Las Vegas, quoted in SAM's findings, said that during the 2024 campaign, Harris focused on, 'Oh, I got Beyonce on stage with me. Oh, I got Lady Gaga on stage.' 'It just kind of felt like, what does that have to do with me? I'm trying to move up in life,' he said.
However, pollster John Della Volpe, another co-founder of the project, says that the current male cohort and younger generation is not 'lost' – though he added that the Democrats are 'losing it' right now.'
A previously reported part of SAM's plan for the Democrats included buying advertisements in video games, online streaming platforms, and podcasts. Influencers, including Joe Rogan and Theo Von, were credited with wooing a large proportion of the male voters.
'Democrats can't win these folks over if they're not speaking the language that young men are speaking,' Hogue told Politico. 'Most people I talked to, Democratic operatives, have never heard of Red Pill Fitness, which is just huge online.'
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