Nevins is co-publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
On Feb. 4, I wrote an article for The Fulcrum with the headline “Will Taylor Swift enter the fray?” Now, seven months later and shortly after the end of the first Harris-Trump debate, Swift made her decision clear when she announced her support for the vice president on Instagram.
Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.
Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.
I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.
I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.
With love and hope,
Taylor Swift
Childless Cat Lady
What I thought was particularly interesting was that Swift did not ask her supporters to vote for Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as so often happens when celebrities endorse a candidate. Instead she spoke to the reason why she is going to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket and urged her fans to do their own research and to make their own choice.
Additionally, she took a critically important step of urging her fans, many of whom will be voting in the first presidential election, to register and provided a link to where to register and find early voting dates and information.
The question everyone is asking is: Could Taylor Swift be the biggest election influencer of them all?. That’s a question I asked on Feb. 1.
There is a long history in the United States of presidential candidates receiving important celebrity endorsements that many argue have tipped the tide. Will these be one of those cases?
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As far back as 1960, when John F. Kennedy was endorsed by Rat Pack members Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford, celebrity endorsements have been highly courted by presidential candidates. More recently, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Sen. Barack Obama early in the 2008 race when he still lacked much of a national following; in 2020, Joe Biden received endorsements from stars such as Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence just to name a few.
In the age of social media, where the influence and reach of celebrities is greater than ever, one superstar stands above the pack. Taylor Swift, with more than 280 million social media followers, demonstrated her power last year when one Instagram post led to over 30,000 new voter registrations.
The youth vote is critical in the 2024 presidential election and many believe young voters simply won’t show up on Election Day. But enthusiastic support from the 34-year-old pop star, who endorsed Biden in 2020, could tip the tide in this close election. We have seen her power as an influencer during football games as she cheers for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. In early October, her attendance at a game and repeated shots of her cheering contributed to 27 million people tuning in — the most viewers since the previous Super Bowl.
Swift took her time in entering the fray, thinking carefully about the repercussions, perhaps reflecting on a comment she made several years ago:
“Next time there is any opportunity to change anything, you had better know what you stand for and what you wanna say.”
Taylor Swift made it abundantly clear on debate night that she knows what she stands for and knows how to say it. The full extent of her impact remains to be seen.
