On November 5, the United States will enter the 60th presidential election.
According to the BBC , both candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris currently receive support from many artists with varying levels of fame.
However, they are still craving Taylor Swift’s vote.
Taylor Swift changes people’s views on politics
Recently, the BBC contacted dozens of accounts that liked and commented on Swifties for Kamala posts.
Notable among them is Noel Drake, 29, who lives in Utah. Drake said she used to find politics boring, especially the 2020 US presidential election. But Taylor Swift and her fans helped Drake change his mind.
After Taylor Swift publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Drake began following a fan-led advocacy group called Swifties for Kamala .
While the group is not formally affiliated with Harris’ campaign, it remains in regular contact with the vice president’s staff.
Since connecting with like-minded Swifties, Drake has become more involved in local advocacy movements.
Similarly, Destiny, 27, of South Carolina, said neither she nor her boyfriend are interested in politics. However, Swifties for Kamala ‘s posts motivated her to vote Democratic in this election.
“I really want a female president who shares my values. This is the first time I’ve voted for this reason,” Destiny said.
More surprisingly, even Destiny’s boyfriend, whom she describes as quite conservative, voted for Kamala Harris.
Where does this change come from?
According to research from the Harvard Kennedy School that looked at the impact of celebrities on voter registration, it was found that their authenticity played a major role in encouraging people to vote.
The study’s author, Ashley Spillane, said celebrities are often best positioned in society to address issues that leave voters indifferent.
“When celebrities get involved in politics, people feel they do it out of sincerity, not for personal gain.”
Typically, just 24 hours after Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris on Instagram, nearly 340,000 people visited vote.gov – the voter registration website, through the link the singer attached.
If Ms. Harris attracts women thanks to Swift and Beyonce’s support, Mr. Donald Trump reaches young male voters thanks to Kid Rock, Elon Musk, John Voight and YouTuber Nelk Boys.
However, recent polls suggest celebrity endorsements can backfire.
In late September, a Quinnipiac University poll found that Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris made 9% of people more enthusiastic about the outcome of the election, while 13% were more indifferent. Trump did the same.
The BBC recorded comments from some Republican and Trump supporters, saying they chose their favorite politician instead of following the choice of their idol – Taylor Swift.
Irene Kim, co-founder of Swifties for Kamala, says she’s taking a new approach to Taylor Swift’s fan base.
Whenever they attend events, they give out friendship bracelets printed with political slogans like “in my era vote”.
The idea came from Swift’s The Eras Tour, where fans exchanged Swift-themed friendship bracelets as a sign of connection.
Irene Kim estimates that the group has donated more than $200,000 (over VND5 billion), as of mid-October 2024, to Ms. Harris’ election campaign.
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