US election campaign: Women’s celebration instead of male muscle flexing

The singer Pink, the female country band “The Chicks” and a large contingent of female politicians and female family members: the US Democrats have staged the finale of their party convention with presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a celebration of women.

The presidential race between Harris and her Republican opponent Donald Trump is also a kind of battle of the sexes. It is about ideological disputes about the roles of men and women in society, women’s rights and different world views. The conclusion of the Democratic Party convention illustrated the contrast between the two election campaigns in a striking way. And that is exactly how it is intended – on both sides. Because political strategists in the USA are above all masters of staging and masters of the show.

The women at the Democratic Party Convention

In recent days, a number of influential women have appeared at the party convention in Chicago to promote Harris: including former First Lady Michelle Obama, talk show queen Oprah Winfrey and former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The last day of the convention was all about women. Many women on stage and in the audience wore white – as a symbol of women’s rights.

The effect was particularly noticeable on stage: there were various high-ranking female politicians as well as Harris’ stepdaughter, sister, niece and their daughters. And: female stars. The actresses Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington promoted Harris on stage, “The Chicks” sang the national anthem, and Pink had a joint singing performance with her daughter Willow.

The men at the Republican Party Convention

Trump’s grand finale at the party convention in Milwaukee in July looked very different. His ceremonial speakers there were the former wrestler Hulk Hogan and the head of the martial arts organization UFC, Dana White. Both men have faced allegations of domestic violence in the past. Hogan incited Trump supporters in Milwaukee by taking off his jacket and then ripping off his T-shirt printed with a US flag – underneath he was wearing a sleeveless, bright red shirt that read “Trump – Vance 2024”. The demonstrative muscle flexing triggered jeers in the hall.

Kid Rock, on the other hand, performed as a major musical act for Trump in Milwaukee. The rock musician warmed up the presidential candidate and yelled “Fight, fight!” into the hall, which the Trump supporters euphorically repeated. On one of the previous days, Trump had chosen a well-known song by soul singer James Brown to march into the party convention hall: “It’s a Man’s World”.