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The 2024 campaign for the US presidential election has no compelling narrative and is met with a general lack of excitement for a potential rematch between two candidates in their 80s and 90s. However, last week, the focus shifted to Taylor Swift and whether or not she will endorse a candidate, becoming the primary fixation of the campaign.
The Biden campaign hoped that the 34-year-old celebrity would sway her large fan base to support their re-election efforts. Meanwhile, angry Republicans initially tried to discredit her with baseless claims but eventually reconsidered their approach.
According to Rolling Stone, supporters of Donald Trump have promised a “holy war” against Taylor Swift if she supports the Democrats in the upcoming November election. There have been speculations that the National Football League is manipulating games in favor of Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, in hopes of gaining an endorsement from the Democrats.
Jesse Watters, a host on Fox News, alleged that the singer behind Shake It Off had been transformed into a psychological operations asset four years ago. The Pentagon responded by stating, “We will dismiss this conspiracy theory and move on.”
Despite the widespread criticism of Swift, not all members of the Republican party are in agreement with the attacks against her. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley expressed confusion over the obsession with Swift, stating that she is entitled to have a romantic partner and is a talented artist. Haley even shared that she has attended Swift’s concerts with her daughter. She finds the conspiracy theories surrounding Swift’s potential endorsement to be strange and believes that it should not be a major focus in national politics.
The upcoming election, which is 10 months away, has caused a lot of political speculation about Swift’s ability to travel nine time zones from Tokyo after her concert on the Eras Tour, in order to attend her boyfriend’s performance at the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl in Las Vegas. However, she is capable of making the journey.
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Without a doubt, Swift has the ability to teach politicians about communicating messages based on values, understanding their audience, and forming authentic connections with supporters or constituents. Recently, Trump claimed that he is more popular than her, despite his narratives being centered around portraying himself as a victim rather than promoting self-empowerment.
According to a poll conducted by Morning Consult in the previous year, 53% of adults in America consider themselves fans of Swift. The survey revealed that there is nearly an equal number of male and female fans, as well as a similar representation of Republicans and Democrats, including individuals from different age groups such as baby boomers, millennials, Gen Xers, and young adults from Gen Z. This means that this group of fans could potentially have a significant impact on a national political campaign.
The latest Republican primary in New Hampshire revealed Trump’s vulnerabilities with female voters, a significant portion of whom are fans of Swift. However, recent polls have also demonstrated a decline in Biden’s popularity and backing among young voters, resulting in a close race with Trump within the 18-34 age group.
Democratic party consultant Hank Sheinkopf states that there is not a strong support for Biden among younger voters. Any potential turnout from this demographic may be driven by their opposition to Trump rather than enthusiasm for Biden. However, if the goal is to engage younger voters and address this issue, enlisting the support of pop star Taylor Swift would be a strategic move to demonstrate sensitivity towards their concerns.
According to David Allan, a marketing professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, who instructs a course centered on Swift, the Republicans will need to handle the singer carefully.
“Caution must be exercised by Republicans when dealing with Taylor, as she has a significant following among both women and men of all demographics. Any attempt to criticize her may backfire and only strengthen her fan base,” he explains. On the other hand, attacking Swift could potentially lead to unexpected rewards in the form of a culture/class war.
According to Allan, if Fox News is criticizing her, it shows that she is making an impact. Having Taylor Swift as an opponent gives Trump a topic to discuss. The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, provide a prominent example of this. They damaged their careers before the Iraq war when lead singer Natalie Maines expressed her shame that President George Bush was from Texas while on stage in London.
In her documentary “Miss Americana,” Swift’s father expressed concern that taking a strong political stance could result in her facing the same backlash as The Chicks. However, Swift’s current success has made her less likely to face commercial repercussions.
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According to Hits Daily Double, the music industry newsletter, she has complete control over the market in every aspect, which is truly impressive. Despite already achieving great success, she continues to grow and dominate in every field she enters, including releasing rerecorded albums, going on a massive tour, creating a blockbuster movie based on the tour, and even influencing NFL games with her presence.
If Swift fully supports Biden, Allan believes that it is similar to the situation in the 1960s where musicians like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell speaking out against the Vietnam war was important for maintaining their fanbase. If Swift does not take action, even just to encourage people to vote, it could damage her authenticity. In September, Vote.org saw a 23% increase in political registrations compared to last year, with over 35,000 new registrations, after Swift urged her 280 million Instagram followers to sign up.
Taylor Swift, who had been careful about her political stance, publicly supported Tennessee’s Democratic senate nominee Phil Bredesen in 2018 (though he ultimately lost) and then endorsed Biden in 2020. However, she has not expressed any desire to align herself with any specific political group. A lengthy 5,000-word article in The New York Times that portrayed her as more than just supportive of the LGBTQ+ community received backlash for making presumptuous statements.
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US candidates frequently pursue endorsements from the entertainment industry. According to Sheinkopf, this practice dates back at least 60 years, when John F. Kennedy enlisted the support of celebrities such as Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Judy Garland, and others to campaign for him. Sheinkopf also mentions that country music stars have typically endorsed Republican candidates.
Other musical endorsements include the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd for Jimmy Carter. But musicians including Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga couldn’t push Hillary Clinton over the line in 2016, and it hasn’t hurt Trump to use Village People’s gay paradise anthem YMCA as a walk-off song, which crowds greatly appreciate.
Sheinkopf suggests that Swift’s potential endorsement of Biden may not even be necessary. By simply spreading the rumor, it can make Biden appear more youthful and open to the opinions of younger individuals and their subcultural preferences.
According to Swift, she will have the opportunity to make important decisions and become a prominent figure in both American and international society. Her public image will hold as much significance as her music, resulting in a significant increase in her earnings.
Source: theguardian.com
