TAYLOR A SWIFT v. POLITICS & THE GENERAL PUBLIC

As if politics isn't a hot topic to discuss already, people love to debate whether or not celebrities should have any sort of influence over politics and voting. One of the most controversial (as usual) people in this topic is Taylor Swift.

Via Taylor Swift on Instagram

Swift recently endorsed Kamala Harris for president, and unsurprisingly sent the internet into a hissy fit. People were freaking out in polar opposite ways, as they love to do. One meme I have seen a lot is "Before you listen to Taylor about who to vote for, think about the fact that all of her songs are about choosing the wrong person" or something like that, and honestly, that drives me insane.

In the past, Taylor has mostly encouraged people to vote and to register to vote. I have a difficult time understanding why this is a bad thing. The morning after she posted her endorsement for Harris, more than 35,000 people registered to vote, according to Vote.org.

How is that a bad thing? That's 35,000 more Americans who are going to speak their mind in the election in November.

Maybe the reason why people get so upset about Taylor encouraging people to vote is that they think they will vote Democrat, and from what I have seen online (and this could be wrong), most of the trolls are people who lean Republican, so that could be a reason.

If you want people to start voting Republican, stop taking away our rights.

Source: TAS Entertainment/ Getty Images

As a woman, why would Swift endorse a campaign that enabled the overturning of Roe v. Wade? Or vote against the ability to have access to IVF? She does have a solid LGBTQ+ following, so why would she endorse a campaign that wants to take away their rights?

I did watch the debate myself, and my personal take is that she posted her endorsement for VP Harris because Donnie didn't actually answer a single question. He was literally fact-checked live and refused to acknowledge it, and repeated the same false idea. I can't say for sure because obviously I'm not Taylor.

I just don't get why people tell you that you cannot listen to celebrities who happen to have the same viewpoints that you hold on your own, but then make it seem like they have to listen to their standpoint and vote their way instead. Why should I listen to a friend or family member who may hold different beliefs than I do, but not agree with a celebrity who holds many of the same beliefs I do? The math isn't mathing.

With all due respect, Taylor has been there more consistently than anyone else in my life. I know I really should have an apologetic stance because people make their choices, and that's fine, but I hate offending anyone.

At the end of the day, I am going to vote however I want to vote. It may or may not be the same way as Taylor, but if it is, that's a coincidence, and not because she endorses a candidate. It's personally a little offensive that people assume the way I vote is because Taylor told me to. Taylor can influence me to do many things, but when it comes to important things like who runs the country, I think for myself.

Taylor Swift's Instagram caption from September 10, 2024, where she officially endorsed VP Kamala Harris

One thing that always annoys me about Ms Swift in the news, is people only listen to the headline about her, and never the story. I'm sure there were a bunch of mad boomers when she posted this endorsement, but read the last paragraph in the photo above. She quite literally tells the reader to do their own research. And that who they choose to vote for is entirely up to them.

She's reminding the reader that they have their own voice, they have their own brain, and they have the power to change this country.

Wanna know how I found the confidence to start thinking for myself and believing in myself? By listening to Taylor Swift.

She's always going to make people mad, and people are always gonna be mean, and I suppose that's something I'll have to accept. But one thing I will always find comical is that with how annoyed people get about her, they tend to post about her online. They clearly don't realize that that also helps raise her popularity and presence online.

Not that I ever want this to happen, but if you want Taylor to stop being on your feed, stop interacting with posts about her, stop posting complaints about her, and magically she'll fade from your feed.

I'm sure this political debate will never end, but I'm happy one of my idols does have similar views as I do.

I also feel like I have to touch on J.D. Vance's little comment he made after the endorsement post was made by Taylor.

He said to Fox News, "I don’t think most Americans, whether they like her music, are fans of hers or not, are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity who I think is fundamentally disconnected from the interests and the problems of most Americans.”

Has he ever spoken to his running mate...?

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Comments will be open for this post, but please remember to speak kindly. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind. Never be so kind, you forget to be clever.