Taylor Swift’s backing of Democrats in Tennessee might sound a risky political statement for her following among Conservatives but her chiming in the intense midterm season has helped an upsurge in voter registration.
According to a Vote.org official, during 36 hours of Swift’s Instagram post, 2,144 voters registered in Tennessee to vote in the November 6 midterm – recently described by the Pew Research Center as having the highest level of voter enthusiasm in recent history of midterm polls. Historically midterms see lower turnout compared to presidential elections held every four years.
“Thank God for Taylor Swift,” Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for the voting organization, according to Buzzfeed News,
Guthrie also reveals that more than 65,000 people registered to vote during the 24-hour period after Swift waged into the political discourse.
The Vote.org website also saw a windfall of unique visitors to its website way up from an average of around 14000 daily to 304,942 on September 25.
While Democrats find it hopeful that the music star – with over 100 million social media fan following – has stepped up the momentum for new voters, Republicans have criticized Swift for taking sides. She has broken her long-held silence over politics in a high-stakes political season for both parties.
President Donald Trump has also reacted to Swift’s statement.
”I’m sure Taylor Swift has nothing — or doesn’t know anything about [Blackburn],” Trump said when reporters asked him about the Swift statement.
“Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now, okay?”
How far will Swift’s statement make a difference in the midterm elections to Congress remains to be seen.
There are a lot of other factors like the turnout and how Democrats and Republicans round off their campaigns in the final weeks, especially on issues like controversy over confirmation of now Justice Kavanaugh amid ongoing #MeToo movement, Trump’s domestic and international policies, particularly on immigration and trade issues.
The contest of political communication might well boil down to the narrative of Democrats pitching their selling points to undecided voters including White women vs the Republicans withstanding the weight of incumbency. Meanwhile, President Trump has launched a series of appearances to invigorate his voter base and bolster Republicans fresh of the Kavanagh confirmation victory.
At the same time, Republicans at several places face challenges from Democrats, who have fielded a host of candidates from diverse communities and are hoping to capitalize on the #MeToom momentum.
As for Swift’s foray into the partisan political conversation, one thing is sure, Swift is in for a mix of praise and backlash coming her way – an artist dealing with deeply held political views. For now her statement makes her political stance crystal clear – a strong ownership of the liberal Democratic agenda.
