NEW YORK – Democrats are harboring sturdy emotions of stress and gloom as the brand new yr begins. And lots of are questioning whether or not their occasion’s dedication to diverse candidates — especially women — might result in additional political struggles within the Donald Trump period.
A latest ballot from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds {that a} vital variety of Democrats imagine that it could be a long time earlier than the USA will get its first female president.
Particularly, about 4 in 10 Democrats stated it’s “not very possible” or “by no means possible” {that a} lady might be elected to the nation’s highest workplace of their lifetime, in keeping with a December AP-NORC ballot. That’s in contrast with about one-quarter of Republicans who really feel the identical.
Whereas despondency is hardly distinctive for a political occasion after a high-profile loss, that discovering displays the deep melancholy that has set in amongst Democrats in regards to the nation and their occasion after Trump soundly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
Such considerations might already be shaping the Democratic National Committee’s seek for a new leader. For the primary time in additional than a decade, the highest candidates for the job are all white males.
And searching additional forward, the occasion’s pessimism is influencing early conversations in regards to the contest for the 2028 presidential nomination.
“We knew males hated girls. The final election confirmed, for a few of us, that we underestimated the extent to which some girls hate different girls,” stated Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Democratic state consultant from South Carolina and former president of the Nationwide Black Caucus of State Legislators. “America is as racist and misogynist because it has all the time been.”
Democrats have nominated a girl to run towards Trump in two of the previous three presidential elections. In each circumstances, Trump gained decisively, over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Harris in 2024. The Democrat who unseated Trump — Joe Biden in 2020 — was a white man.
Including insult to damage for a lot of Democrats was the lengthy listing of allegations introduced by girls towards Trump. He was found liable in civil courtroom for sexual abuse and convicted for a hush cash case involving an grownup movie star. He was as soon as caught on tape bragging that he might seize girls’s genitals with out consent as a result of he was a celeb.
Nonetheless, Trump narrowly carried each key swing state in November. Harris had the advantage amongst girls, profitable 53% to Trump’s 46%, however that margin was considerably narrower than Biden’s. Trump’s assist held regular amongst white girls, with barely greater than half supporting him, just like 2020.
Most Democrats — about 7 in 10 — imagine 2025 might be a worse yr for the U.S. than 2024, the AP-NORC ballot discovered. That’s in contrast with about 4 in 10 U.S. adults who really feel that method.
The ballot additionally discovered that Democrats have been much less prone to be feeling “comfortable” or “hopeful” about 2025 for them personally. As a substitute, about 4 in 10 Democrats stated “pressured” described their emotions extraordinarily or very properly, whereas roughly one-third of Democrats stated this in regards to the phrase “gloomy.”
In the meantime, majorities of Republicans and conservatives stated “comfortable” described how they really feel about 2025 no less than very properly. An identical share stated the identical about “hopeful.”
“It’s so darkish on the market proper now,” stated ballot respondent Rachel Wineman, a 41-year-old Democrat from Murrieta, California. “My household and I are circling the wagons, making an attempt to maintain our heads down and survive.”
There are early indicators that this loss has triggered questions on a core dedication of the modern-day Democratic Occasion to assist minority teams, together with girls, whereas pushing various candidates into positions of energy.
Some Democratic leaders worry that Trump’s sturdy success with working-class white voters — and his modest features amongst Blacks and Latinos within the election — might sign a political realignment that would rework the political panorama for years to return except the occasion modifications its method.
The vote for a DNC chair affords the primary clue as to the course of the occasion throughout the second Trump administration. The election is three weeks away, and the main candidates are Ben Wikler, the Wisconsin state chair, and Ken Martin, the Minnesota state occasion chair.
Both could be the primary white man within the job since Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine left the place in 2011.
Martin and Wikler are thought of the sturdy front-runners in a area of eight candidates who certified for a DNC candidate discussion board Saturday, the primary of 4 such gatherings earlier than the Feb. 1 election on the committee’s winter assembly in suburban Washington.
Two candidates are girls: former presidential contender Marianne Williamson and Quintessa Hathaway, a former congressional candidate, educator and civil rights activist.
The outgoing chair, Jaime Harrison, who’s Black, stated in an announcement that the committee might be well-positioned to compete in future elections and push again towards Trump’s insurance policies.
“Democrats stand prepared to carry him accountable,” Harrison stated. “We are going to proceed to spend money on all 50 states to construct energy from the native stage on up and elect Democrats throughout the nation.”
In the meantime, some rank-and-file Democrats in early major states are overtly questioning whether or not the occasion’s subsequent White Home nominee could be at a drawback if that particular person will not be a straight white man who’s Christian. Barack Obama is the one Black man to have been elected president in American historical past.
New Hampshire Democrat Thalia Flores stated Harris’ loss has made her rethink the political viability of rising stars resembling Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who’s homosexual, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who’s Jewish, or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, essentially the most distinguished lady anticipated to weigh a 2028 presidential bid.
“Kamala’s loss can influence these sort of candidates, too, as a result of anyone who’s not a mainstream white man is perhaps not a great wager,” Flores stated, indicating that such considerations wouldn’t have an effect on her private vote within the subsequent presidential major. “It’s a disgrace that we’re even having the dialog.”
She added, “The American individuals can’t appear to assist a girl.”
General, the AP-NORC ballot discovered that about one-quarter of People stated it was extraordinarily or very possible that the nation will elect a girl as president of their lifetime. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults thought it was considerably possible and about one-third stated it was not very possible or by no means possible.
Such emotions are constant amongst People no matter age or gender, though Black People are extra possible than white or Hispanic adults to say it’s “not very possible” or “not going in any respect” to occur of their lifetime.
Sarah Burnett, a 49-year-old small enterprise proprietor from Edgerton, Missouri, stated she’s feeling “dread” in regards to the course of the nation in 2025.
“All of us are usually not wanting ahead to the following 4 years,” she stated.
As for whether or not she thinks the U.S. will elect a girl in her lifetime, she stated she’s making an attempt to be optimistic.
“Sure, there’s going to be sexism concerned, misogyny, the patriarchy and all of that. … However we did have a Black president,” Burnett stated. “So sure, I’d anticipate a girl to be elected. Do I’ve excessive expectations? No.”
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Sanders reported from Washington.
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The AP-NORC ballot of 1,251 adults was performed Dec. 5-9, 2024, utilizing a pattern drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be consultant of the U.S. inhabitants. The margin of sampling error for adults general is plus or minus 3.7 proportion factors.
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