2024 Is Suddenly About Having Kids. Why?

If you believe JD Vance, the American family is in crisis. But are attacks on “childless cat ladies” and pitches for enfranchising kids actual policy platforms or merely culture war cudgels?This week on “Matter of Opinion,” Jessica Grose joins Michelle, Ross and Carlos to debate the weird ways gender and family are showing up in the election and share their own roads to parenthood.Plus, Jessica suggests a deep dive into a culture of “tin pot dictators wearing LoveShackFancy.”(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)Recommended in this episode:“Red Families vs. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of the Culture” by Naomi Cahn and June Carbone“The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind” by Melissa S. Kearney“The Party of Julia” by Ross Douthat“Welcome to Bama Confidential,” Anne Helen Peterson’s essay series on her Culture Study newsletterThoughts about the show? Email us at [email protected] or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.