Why Donald Trump is giving in to his machismo

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“Brotherly voices” cannot save the former president.

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With Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow, psychologist Daniel Kahneman wrote one of the most influential nonfiction books of our time. At the beginning, he asked such questions: A man has a gentle personality, loves to be clean, likes to read, but does not like sports activities. What kind of job does he probably do? Is he a librarian or a farmer? Librarian, is the spontaneous answer of “quick thinking”. Wait a minute, use Slow Thinking, point out that there are 20 times more farmers than librarians, and conclude that therefore the odds are in the farmers' favor.

Donald Trump and his campaign strategists also fell into the librarian-farmer trap. Over the past few days, they have been focusing on the “bro vote,” the vote of mostly men without college degrees. They proudly report, for example, that young black voters are moving to the Trump camp in droves. What they don't realize is that, if it were true, it wouldn't be much comfort. Young black men make up a low percentage of the electorate, in the single digits.

Women are obsessed with Kamala Harris.Image: trapezoid

However, 53% of voters are women, with Kamala Harris leading the pack among female voters. Even if Trump's lead among young black voters is much larger than Harris's lead among female voters, that's good for the vice president. And their lead may have widened again in recent days as Trump once again alienated women with his machismo.

The event, designed to wrap up the campaign, kicked off last Sunday at New York's Madison Square Garden. What was supposed to be a “love festival” turned into a vulgar, macho event that reeked of testosterone. Veteran wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped his T-shirt again, while others insulted Democrats as “degenerates,” described Harris as “being controlled by a pimp,” and then there was alleged comedian Tony Hinchcliffe Regarding Puerto Rico as a “floating trash-island”.

Macho Elon Musk was also there.Image: trapezoid

The former president's paternalistic comments further angered women. At a rally in Wisconsin yesterday, he declared: “Whether a woman wants it or not. I will protect her.” Trump has previously proclaimed himself a savior and protector of women, despite his legendary pronouncements as The star who can reach between women's legs has a multi-million dollar rant despite a judge fined him $80 for his sexist behavior.

Trump’s machismo is not only disgusting, but also downright stupid from an electoral strategy perspective. This can be seen in the way he treats Nikki Haley. Although she repeatedly told the former president during the primaries that he was no longer fit for public office, she — like nearly all Trump critics — later came back and kissed the future king’s ring.

At this point, Haley is even willing to actively support the Trump campaign. “You know I'm always available,” she explained recently. “Look, we're on the same team.” However, the Trump team rejected the proposal. Haley complained that she hadn't heard from them since June.

Your support is very important at this time. Haley could convince some suburban soccer moms — who will have a decisive impact on the outcome of the election — to hold their noses and vote for Trump. Instead, the former president snubbed Haley, preferring to play the role of the insulted liverwurst instead.

Trump doesn’t want to know anything about her: Nikki Haley.Image: trapezoid

Even Hailey's very reasonable warning was rejected by him. “This is not the time to be too masculine and show off your brotherhood,” the former UN ambassador said. “53% of voters are women. Women will vote. For them, how to solve these problems is important, and the topics are important to them. It’s also very important.”

Along with the unspeakable rhetoric about Puerto Rico, the Trump team also made a top villain. It's not over yet. It wasn't just Latino star Bad Bunny who took this as an opportunity to stand up for Harris. Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez are now following suit. The outrage among Puerto Ricans, some half a million of whom live in the swing state of Pennsylvania, is huge.

Unlike the Republican chaos, Kamala Harris has had a resounding success. The incident occurred at the Ellipse in front of the White House, where Trump incited his supporters to storm the Capitol on January 6, 2021. 75,000 supporters flocked to Washington to celebrate the vice president's inauguration. They were not disappointed. Harris successfully balanced warnings about Trump's reelection while demonstrating policies that could heal deep divisions among the American people.

A complete success: Kamala Harris appears in front of the White House.Image: trapezoid

Stone Age machismo versus new unity are the core messages of the final stretch of this important campaign. Gradually, Harris seemed to be able to get her message across. The Economist's Electoral Barometer once again gives the Vice President a slight advantage – if Kahneman's librarian/farmer example is correct, she too will win.