This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Well, our connection this hour was made last Tuesday, election night, when the Democratic Party had a huge night.

Now it was just one election in a local election year, so turnout was lower than it will be next year or in 2028.

But Democrats were able to erase much of the rightward shift that dominated the 2024 elections.

We've talked a lot about young men moving to the political right.

That's an important conversation, and we will continue to talk about that.

But just as important is the movement of women, and particularly women under the age of 35, to the political left, the town of Perinton just elected its first Democratic supervisor since 19 18.

62% of Democrats are women, 55% of Democrats nationally are women, and there is a gender gap, but it's most pronounced in the group of the youngest adults that we've been talking about.

So there's a generation kind of gap to 40% of teens and 20 somethings, women, at least in that category.

They self-identify as liberal, 40%.

Only 25% of men in that category self-identify as liberal.

And Gallup finds five major issues that women are citing for a move leftward.

One is abortion rights, another is stricter gun laws, another prioritizing environmental protection over economic growth.

Another is the government's role in guaranteeing health care coverage and finally, support for labor unions.

Our guest this hour are here to talk about this move among women leftward and in studio.

Let me welcome our guest.

Nicole Hushla Re is back with us, a longtime political consultant with an expertise in training women for public office, currently serving as the chief of staff in the New York State Legislature.

Welcome back to the program.

>> So excited to be back.

>> And welcome to Nia Robinson, who is not here to speak for all of the under 35 cohort.

No one person can do that.

But Nia is going to be talking about her experience.

She's also working in politics and it's great to have you.

Thank you for being here.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> So first of all, Nicole, obviously there is a lot of talk about the rightward shift of young men.

Is there as much should there be more talk about what's going on with with women, younger women?

>> I think so, because when we when we talk about sort of anchors in our culture that are kind of keeping the political culture stagnant, I think that's a big part of why we got here.

Right?

So the I think part of why we're not focusing on progressive women and sort of the women's place in the progress we've made both for the Democratic Party and in recent elections is is because we're not they that doesn't represent traditional not only gender roles, but just how how these things play out in politics.

and I think, you know, people who want to change his heart and people who want things to stay the same are going to say, well, look, look at these.

These young men don't want this.

So it makes more sense to consider, I think for a lot of people, the, the factors around how scary change can be.

>> You know, I do want to hear from listeners as we go throughout this hour.

And as I mentioned, there is a bigger gap by gender.

The younger you are, the older you are, the older generations.

It's it's much more narrow.

And we're going to talk a little bit about that too.

But listeners, if you're watching on YouTube viewers, however old you are, I'd love to know if if your own politics have moved in recent years, if you found yourself becoming more conservative, more progressive, staying where you are, if you're moving, why?

Why are they moving?

And what do you think about some of these shifts with men, especially younger men, moving?

Right?

Women, especially younger women moving left.

It's 844295 talk toll free.

8442958255263 WXXI.

If you call from Rochester 2639994, you can email the program Connections at WXXI.

before I turn to Nia, just a thought from you, Nicole, about the fact that it is that broader gap at the younger ages, less so in baby boomers Gen X. Why do you think so?

>> I mean, sort of the same thing I was talking about in terms of the cultural norms I think even as an elder millennial I, I experienced a lot of that I've been doing or working in politics for 18 years now, but for the first several years, all we would hear from older adults in whether Gen X or boomers sorry, baby boomers was that the world isn't ready for women to be in higher office.

>> Women were telling.

>> You that.

Oh for sure.

And I think, well, women are often some of the worst perpetrators in perpetuating sexism.

but I do think I do think there's this sort of mindset that with some older women that because I had to go through this, you're fine to go through it as well, right?

Whether we're talking about Andrew Cuomo and the number of older women who stood by him despite all of the credible sexual assault allegations but I think that that even just speaks to general political views, right?

They, they haven't seen I mean, we we have certainly seen some change, but they don't see as many possibilities, I think, as younger adults do.

>> Well, I mean, I think it's possible again, I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it's possible they might say, it's not that we were trying to perpetuate sexism.

We were trying to be pragmatic.

And sure, if we push too hard, too fast, we'll lose.

And that will be more harmful.

Sure.

Oh, based on a kind of pragmatism.

>> I don't think the intention, of course, is to perpetuate sexism.

I think it's an effect of.

Of what?

Of what you're saying.

and this, this concept of I mean, you could argue it either way.

I could sit here all day and argue that that talk about we can't move too fast.

Right.

is kind of why we ended up with the current administration that we have.

Right.

>> How so?

>> because Democrats, the national establishment, has been making promises and saying we are this or we are the we are the big tent party.

We are the the party that represents working class families.

And at the end of the day, they can't really show that in policy.

Right?

Which is why I think we see saw enigmas I shouldn't say enigmas, but the, the trend in New York City voters that both people who both voted for AOC and Donald Trump.

Right.

That made some of us our our blew our minds.

Right.

How does this happen?

that's a whole a whole other topic.

>> Okay.

But to make sure I understand, you're saying by not delivering on more ambitious goals, it sets up the election of people like Trump.

>> I think.

So we weren't meeting people's basic needs.

Right.

And that's how do you how do you say meeting basic needs is moving too fast?

Right.

I think there's a lot of things that you could argue is are, you know, maybe major advancements in women's rights.

I don't know but again, the way affordability, just people being able to pay their bills to not face housing insecurity and food insecurity, these are tangible health care.

These are tangible things that should have gotten done in the last 10 to 15 years.

and we had plenty of time in the majority to to do so.

>> But I'm thinking of the elder Democratic women that you've talked about having encountered over the years in your job, warning you that if we move too fast, we're not going to win.

It may not be time for female candidates, and now they're going to point to not the failure of policy.

They're going to say, we ran Hillary Clinton, and then we ran Kamala Harris, and we lost both of those.

And they're going to say, I was right.

>> Yeah.

Two very different races between Hillary's and and Kamala's in my in my point of view, I don't think it's hard to evaluate Kamala, because we didn't have a whole lot of time.

Right.

and I don't I don't think considering recent failures in the last electoral failures in the last decade, really, that we were in a position to say that we have it all figured out nationally, and this is a slam dunk.

I mean, you've had shows where you're talking about the messaging failures, right?

Sure.

Yeah.

so I think and then with Hillary, I mean, what I've been witnessing more and more as time goes on is everyday people, everyday voters are more aware of how problematic the establishment can be on either side of the aisle.

I'd be the first to say that that, you know, we can we can criticize Trump and his administration all day, all day.

But we have to start with ourselves, right?

How how did we contribute to getting to this point?

And I think some of that is, again, just not not talking to working class people, but also just losing their faith in our ability to do the job.

>> So obviously, you don't buy the fact that two of the last three election, the two elections Trump won, were against women.

You don't buy that.

It was because it was a woman.

And it sounds like part of what you're saying is the more we say that we're not ready for a woman, we're actually not going to be ready for a woman, right?

>> Yeah, absolutely.

And I don't I don't like to operate in hypotheticals.

Right.

I think particularly in politics, we have to be pushing the envelope.

That's our that's our job.

That's any leader's job.

Right?

Is not to stay in this safe place where maybe things aren't going to go.

Well, if we try something new, guess what?

Things aren't going.

Things aren't going well.

Doing the same old, same old.

>> So, Nia, from your perspective are you surprised at all to see how big the gender gap is in your age cohort between men and women and how they're voting?

>> I would say a little bit, but at the same time, women are are my generation, Gen Z are more educated.

And I'm not necessarily saying that as like a bad thing to men, but.

>> More women are more educated than men in your generation.

Yes.

Okay.

>> So I think that education, it broadens your scope and how you think about the world and how you question things going on in the world.

So I think without that education, especially as like the foundation, you kind of are behind and understanding how to progress as a society because we can't just progress as women.

We have to everyone has to progress together.

So when men are kind of behind, still kind of hurts all of us, I would say.

>> Yeah.

And so obviously just as an individual, but also someone who may end up working in politics and for part or most of your career.

I would think that you find it unhealthy to have this big of a gap, and that certainly perpetuating that is going to make it not only hard to win elections, but sort of hard to function as a society.

If men and women are this far apart.

Generally speaking, on issues, is there anything that you see that could start?

I don't know if it's education, if there's something else that could start to bring people back together.

>> I would say just like essential things that everyone has to deal with on a daily basis, housing, you know, affordability.

When we both understand on both sides, men and women, like regardless of your gender, like we are all struggling.

We all need these things.

And I think that once we kind of get to an understanding of not talking about the things that aren't important with men and women, like, oh, who's going to pay the bills?

Who's going to do that?

Like when we focus on the things that regardless of, you know, how much you make you want to be able to afford, you want to be able to live comfortably, you want to be able to exist in a world where you feel comfortable and where you're able to progress.

So I think that that can help.

>> last week, the average age of first time homebuyers in this country hit 40 for the first time, an all time high.

A generation ago was 28.

I mean, it's a huge, huge difference.

But here's a separate question.

So we're buying homes later.

That's one thing.

There's a reason I want to ask you this question, even if it seems strange, your generation is also getting married less often.

Why do you think that is?

>> I would say I just feel like as women, we've just.

I think before in the past generations, like, we kind of women have felt like, or they kind of had to need men to in order to exist in order to be able to do things you think about, like women weren't able to have homes, bank accounts, do all of these basic things, and now we can do those things on our own.

So I feel like sometimes people will say like, what is the point of marriage?

Or how can it actually benefit me?

I do think it is beneficial when you find someone that you can actually grow with, and you have a good partnership with, but I think that I just think especially how women are more progressive than men, you kind of look into that when you're dating or when you want to marry someone.

You want someone to have the same values as you and stand for the same things.

Like, I couldn't imagine dating someone who is against abortion.

Like you're like against my existence in in a way or my rights.

So I think that women are kind of like, if you don't match with those things with me, it's like, why would I want to date?

Especially since they're not as progressive as us.

It kind of just seems like that would kind of hurt me.

And thinking about marriage, kids I don't want I wouldn't want my kids to get some of those kinds of views as well.

Or man dating a man who wouldn't understand those values.

>> So dating Pool is lacking.

Is is the conclusion that I came from that?

Well.

>> I have some insight into that.

Not personally me.

different show.

No, I've got a clip I want to play for you in just a second here.

before we do that, I mean, it's just interesting that so part of what you're saying is in obviously times past when women couldn't get jobs, couldn't own property, there obviously was a very different sort of hierarchical and societal setup where marriage was like a life raft.

Now, that's not the case.

But also the fact that there is such a wide divide in values and politics makes it harder to match someone who may share your values.

So that's another.

>> Absolutely.

>> is it more expensive?

Is it harder to find a partner and say, like, it's harder to find work, it's harder to hold down jobs.

It's harder, harder to buy a house.

We're buying a house.

I mean, does that delay marriage in any way?

Do you think.

>> I don't think so.

I think that.

>> It's more the first two in your mind.

>> Yeah, I think it's more of the first two, I would say.

I think that just like, because things are harder, I feel like it can be hard with two people together.

It makes it kind of easier in some ways.

So I don't necessarily think that is the issue, but.

>> I promise I wouldn't play this clip unless it represented where a lot of young men are, and it's not satire.

This is it was a question that Tucker Carlson had for Nick Fuentes about why his generation wasn't getting married, and it turned into a conversation about women generally.

And I want to listen.

>> Oh.

>> So what are the other factors that prevent.

I'm sorry I called you gay, by the way, but I'm always I think I'm just too old or something.

I'm like, why isn't anyone married?

You tell me why isn't why aren't people married?

>> Well, I mean, honestly, it's the women.

The women are extremely liberal.

No one talks about that.

They're increasingly they do.

Especially after the last election.

There's a 45 point difference between men and women.

The men are extremely conservative.

Increasingly, the women are extremely liberal.

>> What are they liberal on?

What issues?

Like what does that mean, Liberal?

>> Oh, on.

They're very feminist.

>> Like actually.

>> Extremely feminist.

Yes.

>> They don't believe that, do they?

>> I think they do.

>> Really?

Absolutely believe that gender roles are a construct, that none of this is inborn.

Like you'd have to be an idiot to think that.

>> They like the idea of it.

They like the.

Because, of course, I think all women naturally want strong men.

>> Of course.

>> They naturally want a Chad, you know, they want like a tall, buff guy.

but they I think they like the idea of none of them want to work either.

None of them.

That's what I'm saying.

Work.

That's what.

>> I'm saying.

Of course that's right.

It's obviously true.

It's always been true work outside the home, right?

They don't have enough work at home.

You know, there's a lot to do.

But no, I completely agree.

So that's why I question like they're feminist.

In what sense.

>> Yes.

And you know they like these vague appeals to equality.

We want a chance to work and we want respect.

And you know, ultimately I think the whole political system is just based around women never being accountable for any of their choices.

Ultimately, that seems to be what that's what abortion is.

>> Yeah.

>> Of course, because 99% of abortions are elective.

So they say it's an unplanned pregnancy.

You had sex out of wedlock with someone you didn't intend to have kids with.

So now we have to kill the kids in the womb.

And you know, these no fault divorce laws.

These women get married to guys.

Maybe they never intend to stay with.

And then when they're out, they're done.

And they want child support and they want half the stuff.

And I think a lot of men are looking at women and they're they're very liberal.

They're overweight.

They have a very high estimation of themselves.

I think people call it flation there.

Yes, there.

Their sense of their own looks and sexual value is very inflated.

and so a lot of people are looking at these like frumpy, obnoxious, loudmouth liberal women who are who are also very promiscuous and saying, this is not actually appealing at all.

And I don't I don't want to start a family with a person.

Sounds awful.

Yeah, it is.

>> There's an argument that we should have kept the camera on Nicole Hushla Re face that entire time.

If you're watching on YouTube.

>> I was convulsing.

>> Are you okay?

>> I'm all right, I'm all right.

Just trying to not laugh out loud is what the convulsing was.

>> I played that because this is a rising figure with young men.

A very popular figure.

He's 27 years old.

He had dinner with President Trump, and you have a growing split in the right about whether he should be.

I mean, heritage is Kevin Roberts came out and said we shouldn't cancel him.

We should consider his ideas.

Okay.

You know, so I'm not saying that's all men.

I'm not at all.

I want to be clear, but the right word shift that is new in the last ten years is largely what we just heard.

And it's in the online community that is not an outlier.

So let me start with this.

What do you do with that?

Nicole?

>> Nothing, because it's not my job.

>> I mean, like you're in society with people, right?

>> Like, yeah.

>> Do you ignore that?

I mean, because it's growing.

>> mm-hmm.

No, I, I think, I think there's a lot of men's work in that.

I mean, oh.

>> That's the job of, have been scribbling job of men to repair.

You think.

>> Men who don't, who are not in that category.

Right.

That sort of growing.

And I'm going to struggle to not use words like incel, but I do.

It's very important to have these conversations in such a way that people across the aisle can hear them.

So that's something I'm working on in myself.

but, you know, arguably that is, you know, the sort of quote, unquote incel culture is I mean, he kind of hit all of the checkpoints on that, right?

Like everything is women's fault.

I mean, women traditionally are supposed to do.

Yes.

All of the work in the home, all of the emotional labor, which is basically what that breaks down to projecting.

I mean, I, I studied it in college, works well in politics, I have to say.

So I do tend to psychoanalyze a lot.

but the amount of projecting that was there, right.

Like, women don't take accountability.

Men are 50% of making a baby to to be fair, for starters I'm going to try and not go off on a tangent there.

it is important to talk about 100%.

but I think going back to what we were saying about the world isn't ready.

I think what some of those older women who have said that in the past or men or whomever is because they're centering people like this, this guy.

Right.

Nick.

it his voice, just in terms of the culture of patriarchy is going to be more centered than women.

That's just how it is.

Unless we are challenging it.

and I do think that it's probably growing because there is the shift that Nia is saying, like, women are gaining more independence.

It's very, very slow.

But yes, when I was a baby, that was when women could get a credit card without their husbands.

Co-signature.

Right.

Like, that's kind of crazy.

>> So that it wasn't that long ago.

>> It wasn't that long ago.

I mean, I am an elder millennial, but it really wasn't that long ago.

So I think some of that is systemic.

Some of that is the shift away from traditional gender roles.

and I think that even if they can't figure that out in themselves or aren't going to therapy and doing the work on themselves to be more self-aware, I think on a subconscious level that's very threatening.

That's very scary.

Right.

that threatens their position of of power, arguably.

But in a nutshell everything that he said, not in terms of substance, but everything he said is probably why he's going to be perpetually single.

I think that's I think and again, not because of, the credibility there.

I just think anybody who I think people have varying definitions of the word feminism, first of all.

>> What's yours?

>> Mine is that everybody should be a feminist.

It just means you're you're pro-woman.

Why wouldn't you be pro-woman?

Why do we have to talk about women in the context of, oh, if something bad happens to her, that was someone's daughter.

That was someone's sister, or it was just that she was a whole woman.

How about that?

so for me, that's that's what feminism means.

Being pro.

Yes.

Pro.

abortion is is being a feminist because it's about centering women's rights.

and I that at the end of the day, shouldn't be threatening to, to people.

but it is.

>> I think some who would, would be repelled by what you just said will would say, well, what about the pro men?

Is it okay to be pro men or is it inherently anti men?

To be pro woman?

Is it zero sum?

>> Oh God, I feel.

>> I mean.

>> I'm asking the I'm going to say something that I probably wouldn't have said before the clip that we played, I wouldn't have played five years ago.

And the question I just asked, I probably wouldn't even have asked because I my personal view is I find it absurd.

But I now see that in a society where we are fragmented in our media choices, we have huge ecosystems just flowering with no cross pollination or even conversation, and then all of a sudden the people are like, that guy has a huge audience.

Like what?

>> Right.

>> And then all of a sudden, now it's your kids may hear it on the bus, or your kids may encounter it at a, a sports team.

And now the guys are talking and now and I just want to be aware we're not going to do it often, but I want to be aware of what is happening.

So when I ask if it's zero sum, it feels to me like self-evidently not zero sum, right?

But not to people who feel like patriarchy is a natural order of the world.

They point to the animal kingdom.

They they would they would claim that we're trying to erase any difference in gender, which I don't think is true at all.

So it's not zero sum to you.

>> I don't think it's a zero sum view at all.

I'm, I'm, I don't think I don't even think being against patriarchy is anti-men.

I think men if you know anything about patriarchy, men are the, the first victims of it, right?

They're told they're not allowed to have feelings.

They you know, not allowed to cry.

Right?

>> crying.

is feminine.

>> Feeling is feminine.

And it just breeds this culture of toxic masculinity that first and foremost hurts them and their life and their ability to find meaningful relationships, right?

Their their ability to be in touch with who they who they really are versus this I'm just fake man culture.

It's not it's not real.

It doesn't represent real masculinity to me.

So no, I don't I don't at all think it's a zero sum game.

I think that mindset is perpetuated in sort of these, this now very deep, particularly online.

social divide.

because there.

Right.

If you hear something all day, every day and I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican because there's propaganda on both sides.

Of course you're gonna it's just right how the human brain works.

>> Absolutely.

>> Of course you're going to, like, build up those neural pathways.

And that's just you're going to you're going to see in that just sort of tunnel vision.

>> So Nia, do you do you know, people who are sort of down with the views we just heard expressed?

>> No.

And I wouldn't actually.

But if.

>> I.

>> Mean, are you aware of it, that it's out there?

>> Oh, absolutely.

I don't really see it on, you know, my social media, but I did read this book this summer.

It was called like Men Who Hate Women.

Like it's talked about in cell culture, pick up culture, I think it is by like Lauren Bates.

So I it was like a 400 page book.

I read this somewhere and I learned a lot about like this, the red pill content that's being pushed out there, creating more like I would say, violent women, men who are like violent to women and all sorts of ways.

And I didn't I didn't know too much about this because, again, it's not something that's coming up on my For You page or anyone in my life.

I do have a brother.

So luckily, like he has me, so he knows about this isn't right or how to treat women or how to be a good person and why you should stay away from content like this.

So luckily I don't have anyone around me or in my circle that listens to this.

And if I did, I would just challenge them on this just because it's very dangerous and the long term effects are.

>> Yeah, I mean, we played Fuentes.

You could listen to Andrew Tate, people like that, who, by the way, are again in very good standing with The White House.

I mean, these are people who in past generations may not have had political currency, but they do now.

And, you know, some are making deals with The White House.

The White House wants to do a 250th America celebration with a UFC octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship.

And, you know, you may see Andrew Tate there or that kind of thing.

And so it's just a different world.

And I bring it up because we ought to know where our what our kids may be hearing or because that influence is strong.

It is strong and it is popular.

So what you're saying is you confront it directly if you see it sort of in the wild.

But to Nicole's point, they're going to hear a lot more in their algorithms.

The reason it's not in your feed.

>> Is, yeah, you've.

>> Rejected it.

The algorithms know what you like.

>> Yeah.

It's not that.

Right.

>> But if you kind of show any curiosity, then you get a blizzard of that stuff.

And once you do, if you're vulnerable in certain ways, it just sets in.

It sets in.

So you're saying talk directly to it?

>> Yeah.

Challenge them on what they're saying.

Ask them just like you asked Nicole.

What does feminism mean to her?

We should be asking men that as well, because I think that they don't really understand what feminism.

>> Well, certainly you heard in the clip their definition.

>> Of feminism.

>> Is that they think feminism means that there's no such thing as any gender difference, that gender is entirely a construct, that there should be no division of labor.

And that I don't I mean, I don't I it's it starts with the idea that they're claiming that the political left would say there's no difference between a man and a woman, and there shouldn't be any difference legally, morally, et cetera., which again, I don't, I think is an exaggeration.

in the extreme, but they also then endorse in a later clip endorse the idea that patriarchy is a natural order and it's healthy and it should be embraced.

So, so part of what I think, I think I'm hearing from you is feminism endorses the idea that patriarchy is harmful and that equal rights is not something to sort of take for granted and just say, well, the natural order doesn't do that, so we're not going to do that.

Is that is that fair?

>> Yes.

I think that feminism benefits all of us men and women.

I think the patriarchy hurts men, especially like their mental health.

And I think that as our generation especially, we care more about mental health and those things.

So I just feel like, yeah, I don't see anything beneficial from the patriarchy.

especially if we want to progress as a society and men want to be heard more.

They want to be able to cry.

They want to be able to have feelings.

The patriarchy is a system that men set up, which is also failing men today, which is why they are going to these seeing all this right wing stuff and they're like taking it in and taking it for truth is because the patriarchy has done so much damage to them.

>> Okay.

Well, after we take our only break, I'll get some feedback.

And then I want to return to some of the themes.

I want to talk to our guests about some of the issues that are important to them, because when you look at Gallup polling, the reason that the primary five reasons that women often cite for moving left politically in recent years, they want more abortion rights, stricter gun laws, they want to prioritize environmental protection, not just economic growth.

They want a government role in guaranteeing health care coverage for everyone, and they want to support labor unions more.

Those are five core issues.

That's not going to be the case for every single voter.

So we'll talk to our guests who are only speaking for themselves.

Not all women.

Nobody can do that.

but we're talking about kind of the corresponding shifts.

We've talked a lot about men, young men moving right.

Politically, we're talking about women and younger women moving left with Nia Robinson and Nicole Hushla Re both of them doing some work in politics.

Nicole has been on this program before as a longtime political consultant with an expertise in training women for public office as well.

So we'll come back to some of your feedback and talk more about these issues.

On the other side.

Coming up in our second hour, if you could find out that you are predisposed to certain health conditions like cancer or heart disease, would you want to know maybe say, well, of course I'd want to know.

Others might say, I don't need that information.

I don't want to cloud my thinking about my life right now.

Well, we're going to talk about a new program at Rochester Regional Health that is all about this and how it works next hour.

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>> This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Let me get a little feedback from listeners.

Art wrote in.

To say that could not have been a real clip.

That had to be fake.

It's not fake.

That was a real clip.

and speaking of that on YouTube, listener says that was disgusting.

But it proves Nia's point as to how misaligned our values are growing between some men and women.

Not all.

And relationships should be based on mutual respect.

Charles, watching on YouTube says, I'm glad my mom was not alive to hear that clip.

In 1952, she had to hide that she was pregnant with my brother, or she would immediately lose her teaching job.

Her first graders even kept the secret.

Wow.

That's Charles's story.

Thank you for sharing that, Charles.

I mean, yeah, it's a it's remarkable, but I think that goes to Nicole's point when you think about, you know, having to get cosigned with a man for a credit card.

If you ask a 13-year-old today, how long ago do you think that?

I bet you they'd say, like, a hundred years ago.

>> Not true.

You know, like like.

Yeah, right.

Like.

>> I don't know, 1777.

>> They might say.

>> Yeah.

a lot of this was more recent than people think.

so I think Charles's story about what his mother endured, even, you know, in her time, is a reminder of how much has changed.

Right.

>> And I want to I want to I want to show a little bit of love for the women I'm describing as,, perpetuating harmful systems and systems of patriarchy and candidates who I know we're talking about the women who aren't doing that, but I just want to real quick say that another symptom of patriarchy, right, as it pertains to women, is their safety, their ability, their ability to operate in the world with even a little bit of of independence has, since the beginning of time, right?

Slowly changing now has depended on men and being a a participant in patriarchy, if you will.

So I, I do have a lot of love and respect for the previous generations in terms of how much that they had to endure.

I mean, we could talk about stories all day, right?

Where that's and why, as Nina pointed out, why I think marriage is is the marriage rates are in a little bit of a decline because we don't have to for that financial benefit or in order to do X.

>> It's not just a survival tool for for women.

>> Yeah.

>> That's a really interesting insight.

And that's why we have these programs.

I'm so glad Nia made that point because I'm thinking of cost.

I'm thinking of a lot of things that may be factors for some, but not all.

And Nia is thinking, you know, think about past generations.

You had to do this.

And now if you don't have to, you may not do it unless you find someone who is a real suitable partner.

Not that you're against finding a suitable partner, as you said, but you're not just going to force yourself to do it to survive.

It's a very different it's a different situation.

okay.

let me let me grab Keith in.

I don't know where you are.

Keith.

Victor today.

Hey, Keith.

Go ahead.

>> yes.

I'm in.

Victor.

I'm not quite sure exactly what the topic is because I turned on mid broadcast, but one of the women mentioned about how women seem to be more educated now than you know, years, years ago.

But I think more important than just having an education that goes for male and female is a degree of common sense.

And I don't believe people have as much common sense nowadays as they used to have.

and the other thing too, if you deal or have any interaction with adolescent girls if you want strong, independent women in adulthood, you need strong, independent adolescent females.

And I just don't see that, especially in this generation of younger people.

I think they don't quest for information or knowledge.

They have more of a quest for vanity to being connected, for being liked.

for needing somebody.

That's just my thoughts on it.

And I have three adult daughters, and I'm dealing with some adolescent girls now, too.

And I just see a huge, huge difference.

>> Keith, thank you.

anything you want to say to that there, Nia?

Nicole.

>> yeah, I think I think what what?

He's.

Well, first of all I love his comment that women tend to have more comment.

I think that was what it was more common sense.

I mean, rooted in.

I just biologically we mature faster, right?

Our brains develop faster.

could also could talk about that all day, but I think, you know, he's describing the same a similar social media problem that we're talking about exists in politics.

Right.

Like, of course, vanity culture is on full blown display in a way that it never was before for past generations.

Right.

So I think, I think that population exists.

also because content creators, it's it's a career now, right?

I it's not something I could personally do or see myself doing, but I think that I don't know that that takes away from what we're talking about here in terms of women being more educated, women having more and more access to independence.

I think it's just a part of, of the, the cons of, of social media culture.

>> Keith, thank you.

From Julie Dahmer.

It's on YouTube.

Mayor of Fairport.

Hello to Nicole from a women elect 2017 grad.

So woohoo!

Women elect was what?

By the way.

>> It was a program for pro-choice women who were interested in running for public office.

13 week training program.

>> And you did that or is that still happening?

>> That it exists in other cities?

I think it died down in Rochester, where we're looking to starting something similar in the future.

But yeah, I love that we have graduates from that program and, a variety of public office positions across the region.

>> Maria writes in to say there is nothing more equalizing in the workplace than a union contract.

>> So another I'm snapping.

So.

>> So on the Gallup polls there, that was one that was the fifth of five.

Why are women especially under the age of 35, moving more leftward and support for labor unions much more so than under 35 men.

So again, if you think about the stereotypes or sort of the trends of history hundred years ago, 50 years ago, you know, what's changed?

Well, it was men work in union jobs.

The unions supporting the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party supporting the unions.

And boy, a lot has changed there.

I mean, the Democratic Party would like to say they support the unions and want to do more for union workers.

Republicans have enjoyed a surge in union voting.

I grew up in Ohio, where Trump has won the union vote in that state, which is not conceivable.

When I was a kid growing up.

So that has shifted.

And now you've got young women, women under the age of 35 saying they want more support for labor, but men under the age of 35 do not list that as a priority.

I just find that really interesting.

So as an under 30 fiver Nia, do you want to share some insight into I mean, is that an important one to you?

Support for labor, support for unions?

>> absolutely.

I think that anything that's going to progress, women and men, this is the thing like support for union, it's going to benefit everybody, not just women.

So I think it's like it's kind of hard to understand why men wouldn't support that either.

Like it's going again.

>> I'm not saying all men don't.

It's just there's a difference.

>> In terms.

>> Of the overall intensity of support.

>> Yeah, I think that it's just going to it's going to benefit all of us.

I mean, we go, people go to work.

They put their lives on the line.

They deserve they deserve to have rights while they're at work.

And I just for people to not support that or not support that as much as women.

It's it's a little sad because it's like it's going to progress us all.

>> Yeah.

I mean, but you could say the same Nicole Hushla Re for health care coverage that that certainly affects everybody.

And yet for women under 35, that is a big one.

It is a big driver of their shift leftward for men under 35.

They don't list it.

what do you what do you see there?

>> You know, earlier I was going to say, I think a huge chunk of this that we've sort of covered but haven't is that men's rights have not been on the the chopping block.

Right.

In recent elections.

whether it was Trump's first, first run or today and so it's very easy, I think, for them to be one issue, single issue voters.

Right.

and sometimes that can be problematic because a lot of these things are intertwined, right?

Like the economy is intertwined.

people having access to housing and food is public safety, not something we like.

All of these things and the systems that have sort of been failing us the last several years, especially our we treat them in silos versus intertwined.

but I think in terms of health care specifically, I mean, we know racism and sexism exists in healthcare.

it is it is definitely I don't think that there are blatantly and open racist and sexist healthcare providers per se, but I'm what I'm saying is in that system that that very much so exists that that prejudice.

So, you know, whether we're talking about women just having we talked about abortion, but women are losing access to just basic reproductive health care.

They we are more and more trying to talk about perimenopause and menopause and the impacts of of that on women's lives in so many different ways that I think even I have only started to recently learn about.

>> Jen writes in to say so much Truth from your guest.

Seven thank you for having them on today, Andrea in Rochester on the phone next.

Hey, Andrea, go ahead.

>> Hi.

I wanted to call in and talk a little bit about the trend we mentioned before that women tend to vote more left wing than men do.

and I want to say, I don't think that's even necessarily because women are more political.

I think it'd be hard not to ignore, especially for women who are under the age of 40, oftentimes are pushed to dating apps and stuff like that.

It's very hard from what I've seen as a older 20-year-old person, to not notice that the respect I have from people on both sides of the aisle, on those apps and from those different populations from people who swipe all the way to the right side of conservative on those apps, because it typically asks you your political alignment.

I'm more likely to be referred to as my woman.

I'm more likely to be referred, asked to be a domestic partner in the House, to have somebody who wants me to stay at home with the kids without really ever being asked that.

And that's much in contrast to people who are polling more towards the left, and they way they refer to being equal partners and wanting somebody who has interests and has hobbies outside the home.

And I think for women who are even not political, it's hard to ignore that difference.

And just to trend towards the left because we feel like we get more respect in that area.

>> That that's a really and tell me if I'm hearing this the last part correctly, even if you want to stay apolitical, you have found a natural pull leftward.

Given the dynamics you just described, is that correct?

>> That is correct.

>> I have spoken to a number of men.

Some men in my own family who love to say, I don't, I don't, I hate politics, I don't ever think about politics.

I don't want to think about politics.

And it's like, well, how do you vote?

Well, I vote for Trump.

Like, I don't want to think about politics and and often it's, you know, I just want smaller government, less taxes, more freedom.

And Trump and men, this is a big generalization.

And I if you if there is a way to fact check this and I'm wrong, I'll own this.

But I think it's so interesting when Andrea just said, given that I often hear the exact mirror from men, which is I don't like ask a 23-year-old man who's not listening to Tate or Fuentes, and they'll say, like, I don't hate politics.

I don't want to listen to politics.

I watch Barstool, I want to watch sports.

I want to go to work.

And they tend to vote to the right, but they consider themselves apolitical.

So anyway, that's just an observation, and I appreciate the phone call from Andrea.

What do you think there, Nicole and Nia, you want to start?

Nicole, what do you think?

>> Yeah, I think you know, to say, generally speaking that someone is apolitical.

I think it's harder and harder to do because, again basic needs aren't being met.

Affordability is such a big issue.

Being a politically historically is it's a it's a point of privilege.

Right.

and some people who aren't active don't necessarily realize the top to bottom impacts that even your local elected officials have on your day to day lives.

but when you are aware of that or living it right, or face daily prejudices which I think is a little bit of what Andrea was speaking to.

you you're naturally going to be drawn to it, right?

Because that is that's the only way to to change that thing.

so, you know, as somebody who struggles with having friend groups who do consider themselves apolitical, it's very hard for me to to acknowledge that that's rooted in privilege.

Right.

and I think a lot of our work in Democratic politics, particularly for white women, is to use that privilege or set it aside and get on the front lines to to do a lot of this work.

>> Yeah.

And, Nia, I just want to say for especially for younger adults who feel like I hate politics, I mean, like, I get it, I get why anyone would would gravitate towards like, can you, can I just stay out of it?

I mean, like, I there's got to be some days where you would love to just stay out of it yourself.

but do you want to add to anything from the phone caller to Nicole's point there?

>> Yeah, I would agree with Nicole on the whole being apolitical is a privilege.

I personally don't believe that anyone is apolitical.

because there is politics.

It's it's for everybody.

Unfortunately.

Like, no matter what you do and for work, your day to day life, politics is involved in everything that we do.

So to say, oh, I don't do politics or I'm apolitical.

It's like it's politics is going to do you.

So it's like such a privilege to just be like, I'm just going to put this to the side and you'll put it to the side, because it's not nothing that's going to affect you personally.

But then when it does affect you, then you're in it.

And then to say like, oh, I'm apolitical, but I voted for Trump.

It's like, or I voted for this, or it's like, do you know why you voted this way?

There has to be some reason that made you want to vote, which either way, there had to be something that you like that actually was political.

So.

>> last two issues that were on that list from Gallup, abortion rights, I think we've kind of covered it this hour.

I think it's really interesting when you listen to clips of like, Fuentes and Carlson and they are just raging about abortion as if, like the only person responsible during the creation is, is the woman because she's carrying.

Right.

So I, I can't relate to that one ounce, but I that drift of women and men going in opposite directions on abortion is wild to me.

For that reason.

Because there's it's not just one responsibility.

stricter gun laws is interesting.

I mean, men more likely than women to own firearms, but probably no surprise that men and women are divided in your generation on guns.

Are you surprised at all there?

Yeah.

>> I would say no.

I just feel like, especially now in the generation of the internet, like we learned that other countries don't like, they don't have, like, caring.

They're not carrying guns around.

Like, this isn't a right.

That's something that people are, like, fighting for.

So I think that especially women who are like, who carry children like they think about their future, their kids future and how it's going to affect them.

More like, I'm not fear for my life every day, like walking down the street in Rochester.

So for me, I think I don't even know what I would need a gun for.

But I do think that, like knowing how to use a gun can be beneficial, but I just I don't see gun as something as a priority in my life or like the people in my life.

>> Anything to add?

There?

>> Yeah, I think it just logically makes sense to me that Gen, are moving or women at least are moving to the left on this.

This is the first generation who's had to grow up in the culture right of of school shootings being as rampant as they are, where, you know, people are marketing book bags that are bulletproof, right?

They have.

I grew up only having to do fire fire drills.

Right.

They do active shooter drills.

it's been a part of their life since they were babies.

so, you know, I would hope it would be an issue for both men and and women in any given generation, because we're we're talking about the safety, particularly of, of children.

It shouldn't be shouldn't be a debate.

>> I think really smart comment from Elizabeth on YouTube says Evan, regarding the idea that young men are are drifting right and saying they're apolitical.

While women may be drifting left and wanting to be apolitical, Elizabeth says, Evan, you may feel like you're generalizing, but that message is what the right appears to have grabbed on to, that their issues are simple and not political, if that makes sense.

That makes all the sense in the world.

That is exactly right, Elizabeth.

You often hear people say, yeah, I mean, I'm I'm not political.

I just think like a conservative, you know?

And then it's like, well, Tania's point, if you're not doing politics, politics is going to do you.

And but yeah, I think Elizabeth has framed that really, really well.

So down to the last minute, I just want to thank I didn't even get to everybody's emails and comments.

I even got an email from editor.

I can't I don't have time to read this on the air.

Maybe we'll do a separate show on this issue.

if you sent that note.

But Nicole, final thoughts from you.

a huge night for Democrats a week ago.

You got a lot of work to do in the future if you want to keep winning and you got a growing gender gap.

And the younger, especially in the younger groups, what do you do next?

>> keep being well, the establishment isn't necessarily open minded to this, but we have to be more open minded to things that we haven't tried before or things scary words like socialism, recognizing that it actually exists in our political system and government systems already.

if it is what voters are responding to, which they absolutely are, we as a national Democratic Party, need to start listening to them and not being afraid of our own political careers.

At the end of the day.

>> And any final thoughts about 20s Nia?

>> I would just say just education.

Just continue to learn more.

If you don't understand something, pick up a book, do some education, and make sure that your sources are good.

>> Yeah.

When Nia said earlier this hour, American women are getting better educated than men.

That is correct.

Consistently outpacing women, outpacing men in college enrollment and graduation rates.

in surveys of high school students, do you intend to go to higher education?

College women more likely than men.

Girls more likely than boys to say, yes.

A lot of change happening.

And I want to thank our guests for coming in and talking about this Nia Robinson you can come back anytime.

>> Thank you.

I really enjoyed it.

>> I really appreciate you making the time and Nicole Hushla Re thank you for making time for the program as well.

>> Absolutely happy to be back.

>> More Connections coming up in a moment.

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