By Kristen Euretig, CFP®, Founder
A detail from NBC News Graphic on how the intersections of sex and race affected voting in the 2024 presidential election; explore the full results here. Screenshot: NBC News
Well f*c!. I mean just – what else is there to say? I could talk about how a Trump presidency will impact your finances, but are we really ready for that yet? Maybe for next month’s newsletter, we can get down to brass tacks, but for now we grieve, process and regroup. Just for the record, I’m not anti-Republican. I am anti-Trump not because of partisanship, but because I believe in decency, respect and equality, which I genuinely extend to others with differing points of view, regardless of political affiliation. When leaders don’t share those values, regardless of political party, I will rail against them.
It’s all so heartbreaking: an overqualified woman of color losing to an unqualified sexist, racist white man on the national stage, the fact that the majority of white women voted for him again, the powerlessness of feeling like a bystander reduced to rubbernecking at what feels like a flaming pile of garbage.
But let’s flip the half empty glass upside down for just a moment and look at it like this: women-identifying folx alone could steer this country in a completely different direction, because let’s face it: white, cis, straight men are not going to do it. I don’t know how to do it – I’m not going to lie. I’m a numbers and a vision person. Looking at these numbers, it really struck me how women, in particular white women could truly move the needle. A platform that includes national paid parental leave, affordable daycare, flexible working schedules for parents, equal pay for women, and access to reproductive health care could really inspire women to unite around causes that benefit them.
These kinds of causes would benefit everyone, not just those who identify as women, but I truly believe women need to lead the way. Let’s not make the takeaway from this defeat that the electorate isn’t ready for a woman leader. Women won their long fight for the right to vote over a hundred years ago. We can’t afford to wait for people to be ready. We need to get ready. Take it easy, rest and recover. We’re going to need strength to prepare for the next chapter – but even more for the one after that.