Democrats Embrace Masculinity on Campaign Trail Amid Trump's Bravado

Democratic candidates in Michigan and Texas project masculinity to counter Republican attacks and Donald Trump's legacy.

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from the fact record

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Beth Reingold, an Emory University professor who specializes in gender and politics, stated that Democratic voters want a candidate who will fight, which is conceived as a masculine demand especially in response to Donald Trump. ^[1] Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico in Texas was denigrated by Republicans as 'Low T Talarico,' a reference to his testosterone levels. ^[2] In Michigan, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed accused Republican rival Mike Rogers of having 'beta energy' during an argument over their high school football credentials. ^[3] A political action committee supporting Ken Paxton, Republican Senate nominee in Texas, aired an ad that opened with a bearded man in a hard hat saying 'This is Texas' and then cut to a clip of James Talarico saying there are more than two biological sexes, with the narrator adding 'This is not.' ^[4] Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, wrote on social media that Mike Rogers had 'beta energy' and that his teammates didn't vote him captain, in response to Rogers' campaign ad. ^[5] Mike Rogers, Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, responded to Abdul El-Sayed by writing that nothing screams 'alpha' like a 41-year-old desperately reminding everyone he was popular in high school. ^[6] Ted Cruz, Republican senator from Texas, said on Fox News that if you were making a list of 1,000 adjectives to describe James Talarico, 'masculine' would not be one of them, and that a stiff breeze would blow him over. ^[7]

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Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico in Texas was denigrated by Republicans as 'Low T Talarico,' a reference to his testosterone levels. · WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

In Michigan, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed accused Republican rival Mike Rogers of having 'beta energy' during an argument over their high school football credentials. · WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

A political action committee supporting Ken Paxton, Republican Senate nominee in Texas, aired an ad that opened with a bearded man in a hard hat saying 'This is Texas' and then cut to a clip of James Talarico saying there are more than two biological sexes, with the narrator adding 'This is not.' · The Independent

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, wrote on social media that Mike Rogers had 'beta energy' and that his teammates didn't vote him captain, in response to Rogers' campaign ad. · The Independent

Mike Rogers, Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, responded to Abdul El-Sayed by writing that nothing screams 'alpha' like a 41-year-old desperately reminding everyone he was popular in high school. · The Independent

Ted Cruz, Republican senator from Texas, said on Fox News that if you were making a list of 1,000 adjectives to describe James Talarico, 'masculine' would not be one of them, and that a stiff breeze would blow him over. · The Independent

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