Senator Josh Hawley's speech at the National Conservatism Conference centered on his belief that the left is waging a "culture war" against men, contributing to issues like idleness, pornography addiction, and video game dependence. He argued that "masculine virtues" are crucial for self-governance and that the left's portrayal of traditional masculinity as toxic is partly responsible for these problems.
Reactions to Hawley's speech were mixed. While some conservatives agreed with his assessment of cultural hostility towards traditional masculinity, others, including some conservative women, found his emphasis on men's virtues problematic. Some viewed it as an apology for men's behaviors, while others interpreted it as a call for men to embrace their better selves.
Political scientists offered diverse perspectives. Some linked Hawley's arguments to historical conservative viewpoints on gender roles and the 1970s culture wars, noting parallels to arguments against the Equal Rights Amendment and women's suffrage. Others pointed to the correlation between beliefs about threats to white men's dominance and support for Trump.
Scholars studying the challenges faced by men emphasized the importance of economic factors such as the decline of well-paying blue-collar jobs and weak social support networks. They argued that blaming cultural messaging overlooks critical economic and social realities.
Hawley's speech highlights the Republican strategy of focusing on cultural anxieties, specifically gender, to retain working-class white voters. It demonstrates a prioritization of cultural grievances over addressing potential economic benefits offered by policies like Biden's economic agenda, showcasing the party's bet that cultural issues will outweigh economic interests for this voter base.