A Latino radio host in Pennsylvania said on MSNBC Wednesday that Vice President Kamala Harris’ struggles with male Latino voters in the state were a byproduct of sexism.
Victor Martinez, who owns Allentown-based station La Mega, said he believed female presidential candidates will continue to struggle among that demographic due to ingrained cultural attitudes.
“It was the Latino men who decided that they were going to vote for Donald Trump. And I will dare to say that it’s the Latino man who wouldn’t want a woman president. You and I had this discussion before, and I have audio from the Latino men who were calling my show telling me that they wouldn’t vote for her just because she was a woman,” Martinez told MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace.
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“And that is unfortunate, but that’s part of the Latino culture, right?” he continued.
“The man, he’s the one, the provider. And we’re the boss, and we still, unfortunately, have a lot of Latinos with that mentality where the woman belongs in the kitchen. That is a reality of the Latino male chauvinist culture. And I think that’s exactly what happened.”
Harris received just 52 percent of Latinos' support, exit polls said, whereas Biden drew 61 percent four years ago. Hillary Clinton won 66 percent, and Barack Obama over 70 percent in 2012.
Trump won Latino men outright, which is a first for a Republican presidential candidate.
Martinez’ expectations for change weren’t bright.
“As far as these Latino men, I don’t think at any time in the future they will vote for a female president,” he said.
“I brought you audio of men calling my show and telling me, ‘No, no, no, she won‘t be respected. No, no, no. There is no way she can handle the job.’ And I will argue with them on the air, and I will bring examples of other female powerful leaders in the world, and they seem not to want to hear it,” he concluded.
