Opinion Today: These 9 men backed Biden in 2020. How will they vote next?

A focus group explores one intersection of gender and American politics.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 10, 2024 By Adrian J. Rivera Editorial Assistant, Opinion One of my favorite things about our series of focus groups is that our participants frequently challenge my assumptions about people, about the world and about history. In our latest installment, for example, we spoke with nine men who voted for Joe Biden in 2020. We wanted to see how they felt about the president a few years into his term and whether they'd support him again this November. In the course of working with the group and preparing the feature, I found myself thinking about how and why Biden narrowed the gender gap among male voters between himself and Donald Trump in the last presidential election. I'd thought that Trump, the picture of a kind of American masculinity that resonates with millions of men across the country, would have comfortably led among men in 2020, as he did in 2016. Similarly, I thought this group of voters might have soured on the president, whose poll numbers these days consistently trail Trump's. But most of the men in our group said they planned to vote for Biden again this year. Several praised legislative accomplishments like the CHIPS Act, the infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act; others praised Biden's personality, describing him as a good person, the kind of guy who'd be at the center of a cookout. That's not to say our participants didn't offer criticism. One participant wished the president had pushed harder on student loan cancellations, and several mentioned what might be the most common criticism of the president: his age and the fumbles, gaffes and mishaps that are often associated with it. Still, the group had few, if any, nice things to say about Trump. Asked if they wished there were different Democratic and Republican nominees, all of our participants said yes. Most of these men, though, weren't letting that wish get in the way of supporting Biden again. We won't know until November whether millions of others in the country will do the same. Read more from the focus group's conversation: Illustrations by Lucinda Rogers These Nine Men Voted for Biden in 2020. How Do They See Him Now? The participants discuss their views on Biden and the 2024 election. By Laura Reston, Margie Omero and Adrian J. Rivera Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay What Worries Me Most About a Trump Presidency He could transform our government into a modern Tammany Hall, installing a kleptocratic leadership that will be difficult to dislodge. By Caroline Fredrickson More From Opinion Thomas L. Friedman Israel: Cease-Fire, Get Hostages, Leave Gaza, Rethink Everything Israel is at a strategic point in its war in Gaza and there is every indication that Benjamin Netanyahu is going to choose the wrong path. By Thomas L. Friedman Guest Essay This Is What You Get When Fear Mixes With Money Trump is the embodiment of the politics of intimidation. By Thomas B. Edsall Bret Stephens Netanyahu Must Go Being pro-Israel doesn't entail slavish support for any leader of the country, particularly its most failed one. By Bret Stephens Ross Douthat How the Pro-Life Movement's Deal With Trump Made America More Pro-Choice Abortion opponents are entirely misaligned with the Trumpist form of conservatism. By Ross Douthat Guest Essay Where Is America's 'Rules-Based Order' Now? The United States' failure to ensure enforcement of the U.N. cease-fire resolution regarding Israel undermines the international rules-based order. By Spencer Ackerman For Muslims, It's Hard to Celebrate This Eid The war in Gaza looms. By Meher Ahmad The Opinions How Much of a Threat Is Kennedy to Biden? The columnist Michelle Goldberg reports on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s coalition of the alienated. 7 MIN LISTEN Paul Krugman Stumbling Into Goldilocks How America avoided recession (so far). By Paul Krugman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times letters Trump's New Stance on Abortion Readers discuss his statement that abortion policy should be left to the states. Also: J Street; student "brands"; GPS satellites; alternatives to social media. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018