The 2024 Oscar nominations laid bare a basic truth about America: our large institutions are not ready to accept or acknowledge the accomplishments of women with the same enthusiasm of those of men. As I read the memes that exploded after Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster feminist satire Barbie was snubbed in most of the most prestigious Oscar categories, I thought about the New Hampshire GOP primary.
If supposedly woke Hollywood can’t shake off its institutional misogyny, why should I expect the Republican Party to?
In recent weeks, I watched former opponent after former opponent pledge their endorsement to Donald Trump: Ron De Santis, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, even Doug Burgum. The GOP Primary Class of 2016, long and vociferously insulted by Trump, have joined the Trump 2024 bandwagon: Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Even Chris Christie, whose entire campaign was about being anti-Trump, can’t go so far as to endorse Nikki Haley.
Polls show that Haley has the best chance of beating President Biden in the general election. Yet Republican heavyweights are unwilling to endorse the candidate who is clearly conservative, qualified, and has the best chance of winning. Why?
Apparently, for the lack of a Y chromosome.
Political analysts for the most part seem unwilling to make this connection. But I think it’s pretty clear. The GOP is not ready for a woman at the top of the ticket. The MAGA crowd is certainly not known for its positive stance on women’s equality: it’s largely angry and male.
New Hampshire exit polling showed Trump’s combative messaging is succeeding. Trump voters “wanted someone who would fight for them,” felt he was stronger than Haley in managing the economy and immigration and was more likely to beat Biden in November. Haley fared better with voters who wanted a President with “the right temperament” and whose top issues where foreign policy and abortion.
Senators like Scott, Cruz and Rubio know that continued deficit spending – which increased under Trump – foretells financial disaster for the United States in less than a decade. Chris Christie knows the worst of the worst of the Trump administration and suffered hospitalization during Trump’s non-management of the pandemic.
All of these politicians (with perhaps the exception of Ramaswamy who is quite simply a nut) know the chaos that will occur post-primary if Trump is the nominee. If Trump wins, four more years of Diet Coke- and ketchup-fueled anarchy from the White House. If he loses, more “stolen election” national discord.
Yet, none of them have the intestinal fortitude to back Haley. A reliable conservative with excellent foreign policy chops, she not only would govern competently, but she would also bring the independent voting bloc back into concert with the MAGA and traditional GOP blocs. This uniting force could offer the GOP true majorities in Congress.
But the good old boys can’t block out Trump’s shouting. Even though he lost the popular vote in 2016, and the popular and electoral vote in 2020, maybe, just maybe, DJT can eke out the win in 2024.
You see, a bombastic angry man will always inspire more confidence than an accomplished, highly competent woman. It’s just how things work. Ask Ryan Gosling.
Merritt Hamilton Allen is a PR executive and former Navy officer. She appeared regularly as a panelist on NM PBS and is a frequent guest on News Radio KKOB. A Republican, she lives amicably with her Democratic husband north of I-40 where they run one head of dog, and two of cat. She can be reached at news.ind.merritt@gmail.com.