During MSNBC’s recent election coverage, host Joy Reid addressed the voting patterns of white women, claiming they failed to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, despite the candidate’s stance on issues like reproductive rights.
As North Carolina was called in favor of President-elect Donald Trump, Reid discussed the implications of the results, particularly how white women voters in the swing state had voted.
“Black voters came through for Kamala Harris. White women voters did not,” Reid said.
North Carolina’s vote followed a national trend where, Reid pointed out, women’s rights were a focal issue. With reproductive rights at risk, Reid remarked that Harris, as a fellow woman, could have gained more support if these voters had chosen gender over party alignment.
Reid drew parallels between this election and the 2016 race, where many white women similarly voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton.
According to Reid, this was a “second opportunity” for white women voters to reconsider their relationship with the patriarchy. She concluded:
“If people vote more on party line or race than on gender … there’s really not much more that you can do but tell people what the risks are and leave it to them to do the right thing.”
Trump’s projected win left many political commentators reflecting on the challenges Harris faced as a woman of color and a Democratic candidate.
CNN’s Van Jones, visibly emotional during coverage, shared his thoughts on the dashed hopes among Black women voters.
“They were hoping that maybe this time — this time — one of their own could be seen as worthy,” he said.
