Two months before the US election, Taylor Swift came out in support of Kamala Harris. But what effect does their support have on young voters?
It wasn’t long after the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris that a woman spoke out that many people had been waiting for a long time to express her opinion: Taylor Swift posted a photo of herself with her cat on Instagram and wrote that she was November will put her cross with Harris. Swift said that more could be achieved in the USA “if we are guided by calm and not chaos.”
Taylor Swift supports Kamala Harris
The election campaign in the USA is more emotional than it has been for a long time, and the fronts have hardened. Swift’s statement is all the more diplomatic. Instead of anger, rationality sounds in her words. She calls on her fans, especially young ones, to register to vote. To get information and form an opinion. Just like she already did. The record musician supports her opinion with facts. She was particularly impressed by Harris’ running mate Tim Walz’s attitude towards LGBTQ+ rights and fertility treatments such as IVF. A woman’s “right to her own body” is just as important to Swift herself. In this respect, the musician apparently feels best represented by the Democrats.
Only Swift’s closing words sound a little provocative. So she signs her post with “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, childless cat lady.” It’s a reference to Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, who called Harris and other Democrats a “bunch of childless cat ladies.” Recently, other prominent women were also outraged by Vance’s statements, including Jennifer Aniston and Chelsea Handler. The fact that Swift is now backing her political support with a photo of a cat and calling herself the “childless cat lady” is powerful. 283 million people follow the superstar on Instagram. It has a reach that many politicians would wish for.
The Democrats in the USA are hoping for a lot from Swift’s support. But is that justified? No one can now reliably predict what effect Swift’s support of Harris will have on the election. Few celebrities have made a noticeable impact in modern election campaigns. Political experts say that while famous people can rally existing followers, they have minimal influence on persuading new voters. The exception is talk show star Oprah Winfrey, who publicly spoke out in support of President Barack Obama in 2008, thereby fueling his campaign.
It has an enormous reach
What is certain, however, is that in the particularly close race – Harris and Trump are currently neck and neck in the important swing states – just a few percentage points could make the difference. Democrats are hoping for a boost from Swift’s support, particularly among young voters. Since accepting the presidential nomination, Harris’ campaign has been working to win back the support of young voters. In 2020, President Joe Biden was able to rely on strong support among voters under the age of 30. But many have now turned their backs on the Democratic camp because they were disappointed that the 81-year-old president had now withdrawn his candidacy.
Harris, on the other hand, has sparked new interest in the election among Generation Z and younger Millennials, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll. Since then, a wave of enthusiasm for dance videos and coconut memes has swept through the Internet. It is this target group that has known Taylor Swift as a country and pop star almost her entire life. Their debut album, which was released in autumn 2006, is almost as old as an 18-year-old voter in the USA today.
And there are signs that some Swifties may be inspired by their idol’s political decision. In a May Newsweek poll, a third of voters under 25 said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate Swift supported.
The singer has long since demonstrated her ability to motivate her followers to take political action. Last year, Swift urged her then 272 million followers to vote in an Instagram post and linked to the website “Vote.org”. The site later reported 35,252 new registrations in that one day, a particularly significant increase in a non-election year. On Tuesday, Swift posted a similar link to “Vote.gov” on her Instagram Story and repeated the appeal to her followers: “Remember, you must be registered to vote!”
The singer used to hold back politically
Politics and Taylor Swift – an explosive topic for years. At the beginning of her career, the former country singer always held back when it came to political statements. Even when she was used by right-wing groups as their mascot. In March 2018, Swift surprised people when she publicly supported the anti-gun movement “March for our Lives” and donated money to the organization. A small step that would soon be followed by a bigger one. Because in the same year she took a decisive political position. “In the past, I have been reserved when it comes to publicly expressing my political opinions, but due to various events in my life and in the world over the last two years, I feel very differently now,” she said, revealing that she would vote Democratic in the midterms in her home state of Tennessee.
Since then, Swift has made no secret of her political views. This was most evident in her Netflix documentary “Miss Americana,” when Swift argued with her father and other co-workers in front of the cameras because they had different opinions. “I’m horrified. I’m the guy who bought armored cars,” Swift’s father reacted to his daughter’s political positioning in the documentary. Swift then said she regretted not speaking out for Hillary Clinton in 2016. “But I can’t change that. (…) I have to be on the right side of history,” said the musician.
Now Taylor Swift has made another confession. In the end, their political support could tip the scales in the midst of an incredibly close election campaign.
