OPINION: A Swift Move into Politics: Celebrity Endorsements
Photo via: Gabbo T/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons
Taylor Swift is the highest-paid female artist of all time, the winner of 14 Grammys and a staple in the music industry for nearly 20 years. However, I wouldn’t exactly consider this pop star a political figure. Why, then, was Swift able to get 405,999 people to visit vote.gov through her link, which she posted along with her endorsement for Kamala Harris?
Celebrity endorsements have a richer history in the United States than many people know. This all started in the early 20th century with entertainer Al Jolson, who expressed his support for Warren G. Harding during Harding’s presidential campaign in 1920. Jolson went as far as performing the song “Harding, You're The Man For Us” through the streets of Marion, Ohio. Jolson opened the door for celebrity endorsements, and soon, many celebrities began to follow in Jolson’s footsteps.
Other notable celebrity endorsements include Frank Sinatra’s endorsement of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 and then of John F. Kennedy in 1960, going so far as to record a song to the tune of “High Hopes” for Kennedy's campaign. In 1980, the singer supported Ronald Reagan.
More recently, in 2008, Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama in his presidential run. Winfrey’s endorsement of Obama was responsible for over 1 million votes, helping lead Obama to victory. That same year, future President Donald Trump had endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, saying, “Well, I know her, and she’d make a good president or good vice president.” As we know, Trump and Clinton’s relationship would vastly change over the next eight years.
Regarding this year's election, two celebrity endorsements stick out most in my mind. The first is singer Charli XCX’s endorsement of Kamala Harris with the tweet “kamala IS brat.” Unless you neglected to turn on your TV over the summer, there is a good chance that you have heard of this phenomenon. Harris used this endorsement to brand her campaign toward younger voters, which has worked out in her favor. “Brat” took the internet by storm and created enthusiasm among younger voters, giving them something they can relate to and have fun with while simultaneously educating themselves and getting registered to vote.
“I’ve never seen people so excited for a candidate,” said Ryan Long, a senior at the University of Delaware who went viral for posting a “brat” X Harris mash-up. This seems to be one of the main reasons people love celebrity endorsements so much. It excites us when we see a celebrity we idolize endorsing a candidate we feel strongly about.
With “brat summer” coming to an end, that leads me to the second celebrity endorsement that got people talking. Taylor Swift endorsed Harris after the debate on Sept. 10. Swift posted on Instagram to announce her endorsement and wrote, “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.” After this post, Swift got over 405,999 people to visit her link to vote.gov, and of course, got younger voters excited. Swift is not new to being involved in the world of politics. Back in 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden, and since then, she has made clear where she stands politically.
Swift’s endorsement post for Harris also addressed AI images of her endorsing Donald Trump, making sure her followers knew they were fake despite the former president reposting them. Trump reposting the photos, knowing they were fake, proves how much politicians want these endorsements from celebrities and how vital they can be to young voters. It’s not surprising since Taylor Swift has 283 million followers, while Trump sits at 26.6 million. Any politician would benefit from this type of publicity. Swift's fanbase also adds to this, as most “Swifties” are stereotyped as obsessed, dedicated and even annoying about their immense love for the singer.
Celebrity endorsements have and will continue to play a significant role in politics. From Al Jolson in 1920 and now, over 100 years later with Taylor Swift, most Americans will always be interested in what celebrities say. I would say that now more than ever, these endorsements matter as Gen Z becomes young adults, and these celebrities that younger voters adore have the power to get young voters talking and, more importantly, get them to the polls this November.