2024-09-11 15:20:33
Could Taylor Swift decide the US elections? Does it harm democracy? And what do we know about your cat? A detailed analysis of the text of his election campaign for Kamala Harris.
Who did Taylor Swift choose?
Now there is no more beating around the bush, no more meaning, and the Easter egg hunt is officially over as of this morning. Taylor Swift came out as a Democratic voter in a long post on her Instagram account: “I will vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election.”
Why?
More surprising than Taylor Swift’s predictable support for Kamala Harris is her opinion. When it comes to Harris, Swift remains hesitant: “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need warriors to stand up for them. I think he is a level headed, gifted leader and we can achieve so much more in this country if we let calm, not chaos, guide us. ”
Swift praised the Democratic presidential candidate’s behavior rather than political content. However, he found this in the deputy Tim Walz – whose appointment Swift proved to be Harris’ most impressive action to date. Walz has been campaigning “for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman’s right to her own body” for decades.
So you put Trump out of the game?
Not quite. Swift is smart enough not to express her support of Democrats as just Republican bashing. But he doesn’t want to give up completely on the rail against Trump, at least with indirect pumps. For example, Swift signed off her comment with “Taylor Swift, childless cat lady,” borrowing a slur that Trump’s colleague Vance had used against Harris. Although Swift advocates for a policy guided by “confusion” rather than “chaos” and refers to the hoaxes of AI generated on Trump’s account, it should be clear that his words are not explain not only for, but also against someone.
Hasn’t Swift done more harm to democracy than good?
The fact that stars make red carpets around the world, speaking stages and safe social media with pins, flags and political messages can be seen as an abuse of their model character or a misunderstanding of their role. With her Harris endorsement, isn’t Swift freeing many young voters from the task of forming their own opinions? Should you really approve of millions of fans following the arbitrary advice of a pop star?
Swift avoided these accusations. Much of his message emphasized the importance of making one’s own decisions with an air of discipline, a light of neutrality: “Like many of you, I followed the debate this evening. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to learn about current issues and the positions of these candidates on the issues that matter most to you. As a voter, I watch and read everything I can about the policies and programs proposed for this country.” And: “I have told myself and I have made my decision. You have to do your own research and the decision is entirely yours.” Swift also reminded first-time voters that they have to register first and found it easier to vote early. He posted a link to voter registration in his Instagram story.
Why now?
There is hardly any star who speaks his mind with such a thought process as Titan pop. Why Swift pledged her support to Harris now, now or now leaves room for speculation. On the one hand, Swift’s rational approach to the public is predestined for delays and is known for long silences. Even after his Vienna “Eras Tour” concert was canceled due to terror warnings, fans waited in vain for an explanation from their idol. When many people have long since left and Swift has already gone to the next performance in London without any problems, his Austrian fans were able to expect comforting words.
The fact that Swift published his political commentary the evening after the televised duel and therefore in the immediate vicinity of the elections could be a strategic move that could influence the voting behavior of many Swifties. They were impatient soon anyway and even thought they could see a shadow of Harris in the background of a concert photo shared by Swift.
And why at all?
Swift explains the timing and validity of his confession, among other things, with the misinformation spread by artificial intelligence. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump recently shared a photo of an AI prototype in which Swift falsely pledged her support to Trump. “This raises my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation.” As a result, he concluded that as a voter you need to be “very specific” about “your exact intentions for this election.” “The easiest way to counter misinformation is with the truth.”
Is this the first time Swift has taken a political stance?
No, Taylor Swift spoke out against Donald Trump back in 2018. At the time, Trump responded with a laugh by saying that he would like Swift’s music “probably 25 percent less” now. In 2020, the singer issued a threat directed at Trump: “We will vote for you in November.” The “Miss Americana” documentary about the star shows how much work and thought Swift put into political posts closely – and it is known that the danger of alienating fans is well known.
Will it do anything?
Anyone who causes earthquakes, called “Swift Quakes”, causes ticket sales platforms to collapse and affects the economic development of various cities (“Swiftonomics”) can also decide elections. Back in 2018, the website vote.org recorded a huge increase in new registrations the day after Swift’s call to her fans to vote.
Who is the cat?
Taylor Swift has three cats: Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button. Meredith and Oliva previously appeared in the music video for “ME!” Swift’s youngest cat, Benjamin Button, named after the famous movie character, was even allowed to appear on the cover of “TIME” when Taylor Swift was named the magazine’s Person of the Year in 2023. Now she is pictured “TIME” This image, in which the singer slowly carried Benjamin in his arms, appeared on Instagram to show his choice.
Why are there all cats?
Cat content has experienced a widespread renaissance since the dawn of social media. Taylor Swift also knows that, when in doubt, a photo with a cat is more successful than one without: better for algorithms, likes, sympathy points. In doing so, he received the famous “Save the Cat!”, which is written in every screenwriting conference today: Just like in the movie “Alien,” in which the hero Ripley saves the cat Jonesy despite a catastrophic emergency, Swift lives with her cat -Love every super cynic on your side.
But Republicans are still using the cat in this election campaign as a political symbol, which they carry with questionable meaning. For example, Trump said that immigrants are cats. Her deputy JD Vance called Kamala Harris the “childless cat lady,” which Swift has now accepted. As my colleague Marlen Hobrack convincingly argues, the attempt to demonize cat women goes back to the history of witch hunts.
What are the reactions?
Trump and Harris have not yet commented on Swift’s comment. But Elon Musk did. He made a joke on X
Only twelve questions, but is 13 Swift’s favorite number?
An experimental idea, but the newspaper has to maintain its neutrality somewhere.
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