Why would any man vote Democrat?

By Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D., and Dianna Thompson

The most presciently under-appreciated and intentionally ignored book in gender politics was published by David Paul Kuhn in 2007 and titled "The Neglected Voter: White Men and The Democratic Dilemma." The message is in the title. White men have fled the Democratic Party in droves, for good reason – and why shouldn't they continue to flee in 2014,— while keeping an eye on 2016?

For those not afraid of being "bullied" by the Democratic left, there are a half dozen long-ignored but critically important problems facing the nation's males that should bring all voting-age men to the polls in 2014 – perhaps men's last chance for hope and change before the ice age possibly returns in 2016. Consider six interlocking sets of issues.

First, ask what have the last two Democratic administrations done for boys, men and fathers? Because of "The Woman's Vote" and his powerful feminist base, Democratic President Obama has given us a Cabinet-level White House Council on Women and Girls. Despite extensive and repeated calls for a gender equivalent White House Council on Men and Boys, Democratic President Obama has refused even to consider the multitude of problems facing males in today's economy and society.

Second, family law reform. An inconvenient truth for the Family Law Sections of State Bar Associations and those living off the Domestic Violence Industry is that most children of divorce love both of their parents and do not want to be separated by law from either of them. If divorced fathers, second wives, moms and the voting-age children of divorce band together and make their demands known to candidates, 2015 may be the year of post-divorce Equal Shared Parenting and the elimination of Permanent Alimony.

Third, education. The boy-crisis deniers finally have been overwhelmed by raw statistical data. The most telling statistic is that in the 1960s men were awarded about 60 percent of all higher-education degrees, but today they are down to about 40 percent. Unsurprisingly, boys and men today fare worse on all indices of academic achievement and academic failure than do girls and women. Both hope and change are going to be required to reverse this trend and return the pendulum to the center.

Fourth, health. There are a multitude offices of women's health spread throughout the federal bureaucracy. There are no offices of men's health. Unsurprisingly, men top nine out of 10 of the leading causes of death and live about five years less than women.

Fifth, if men need any more reason to move out of their mother's basements and get off their video games, they need look no further than "Affirmative Consent." California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed SB 967, popularly known as the "yes means yes" affirmative consent for sex on campus bill, followed immediately by Democratic Gov. Cuomo who by fiat imposed affirmative consent on his university system – even though data show there is no "rape crisis" on the nation's campuses.

The heart of the problem is that the affirmative consent movement gives total power, control and resources to women in all matters sexual while simultaneously denying all due process rights to the accused man in campus tribunals. The denial of due process includes the denial of: the presumption of innocence, an attorney, cross-examining your accuser and an evidentiary standard higher than a coin toss. College men who have been expelled with the Scarlet "R" affixed to their transcript have no future.

The differential impact of SB 967 on California's sons and daughters is horrific and must be replaced by legislation that treats the nation's sons and daughters equally.

Finally, consider the consequences for men of men not voting in 2014. Supposing that men leave everything up to "The Women's Vote" in 2014, it would, of course, lead to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party gaining ground in both the House and Senate. Such an outcome would further grease the skids for the already enshrined leader of the pack for the Democratic presidential nomination – Hillary Clinton – with no clear leader of the pack on the Republican side.

Should Hillary win the presidency in 2016, would her primary concern be boys, men and fathers?

Not hardly.

Men and women who want the leaders of this country to be concerned about the issues facing all citizens (including the men and boys in their lives) might ask themselves – why vote Democrat in 2014?

Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D., is emeritus professor of psychology at Florida International University. Dianna Thompson is a national leading expert families, stepfamilies and divorce related issues. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Both are advisers to the National Coalition for Men.