Democrats Want Bros Back

The DNC just soft-launched its masculinity strategy, will it work?

This week, The New York Times reported that Democrats are pouring $20 million into a new effort to do something that has frankly felt impossible lately: talk to men. Specifically, men who have been ghosted by politics, radicalized by the algorithm, or recruited into what we now call the manosphere—Andrew Tate acolytes, Joe Rogan disciples, and the millions of young guys caught somewhere in between.

Led by former NARAL president Ilyse Hogue and Biden's youth pollster John Della Volpe, the effort isn’t just about messaging. It’s about decoding a language. Literally. The strategy includes a promise to “study the syntax, language, and content that gains attention and virality in these spaces.” Yes, they’re studying how men speak online. Yes, they’re planning to buy ads in video games.

Why? Because Democrats are finally realizing they’re losing men. In 2020, Biden won men under 30. In 2024, he lost them to Trump. By a lot.

There’s a reason for that. For years, part of the left have either ignored masculinity or, worse, treated it like a disease to be cured. Meanwhile, the right built a billion-dollar media ecosystem that told men they were strong, valuable, and under attack. Even when that messaging was wrapped in misogyny, conspiracy, or full-blown incel rage, it still resonated. Because it spoke to something primal: the feeling of being disrespected and left behind.

And let’s be honest: the manosphere doesn’t care if your student loans got canceled or if you can now afford insulin. It cares if you feel powerful. The left, on the other hand, has avoided talking about it when it comes to men. That vacuum has been filled with everything from red-pilled fitness influencers to youtubers selling crypto scams alongside masculinity tips.

For the first time, the party is saying: Above all, we must shift from a moralizing tone. That might sound small, but it’s huge. Because if there's one thing men on the internet don’t respond well to, it’s being lectured. The left has been trying to fact-check men out of their feelings, while the right has been validating those feelings—no matter how messy, angry, or misguided they may be.

Now Democrats are trying to build their own map. With a large chunk of change… $20 million in donor money. So the big question is: can you out-meme misogyny with a powerpoint about how to talk to men?

Some critics are asking why it took this long for the party to take men seriously. Conservative critics are asking why they’re doing it in hotels that cost more per night than most Americans make in a week, which is a rich critique coming from a movement bankrolled by billionaires… But mostly a lot of people are just asking what took so long. We’ve known the boys are not alright for a long time. Some of us even wrote a whole book about it—six years ago. (For the Love of Men, in case you missed it!!) We’ve been waving red flags, hosting panels, doing flirt canvassing in swing states and getting blocked by trolls ever since. So while I’m thrilled to see $20 million going toward talking to men with curiosity instead of contempt, I’d also like to gently say: welcome to the conversation. We saved you a seat!!

Now, instead of shaming, the DNC is experimenting with listening. Instead of mocking, they’re studying what actually makes men click. What makes them laugh. What makes them feel seen.

Will it work? Maybe. Will it be weird? Almost definitely. But is it necessary? Absolutely.

Because this isn’t just about male voters. It’s about men being radicalized online every day while we debate tone. It’s about creating a new script for masculinity, one that doesn’t involve rage bait or red pills.

The question isn’t if the left should talk to men. It’s how.

Because if we don’t, Andrew Tate will.

What do you think about the left’s man mission? What would you like to see Democrats do differently?