Of course, there has been severe backlash from her “conservative” fanbase who may feel alienated by her public support of democratic senators. The backlash seems a bit astonishing for 3 reasons:
1. It is her constitutional right to publicly state her political views. Being a public citizen does not negate or invoke her first ammendment rights, even if her publicity is not relevant to politics.
2. She didn’t actually tell her fans who to vote her. Nor did she declare a party affiliation. Her actual Instagram post merely detailed her own political endorsements, and encouraged her fans to vote for a candidate who best represents one’s values
3. Talyor Swift’s dabble into politics is actually pro free-speech. Given that conservative politics upholds our constitution as the edifice on which our society is built, I’d expect conservatives to support her. I know that this is not a legitimate freedom of speech issue (she’s not being put on trial for her post) but given a basic understanding of actual conservatism, I think that most of the people expressing opposition of her music are actually angry reactionaries masquerading as conservatives. I feel that legitimate conservatives would respect her more for her conviction.Taylor Swift wrote:Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting!
I’m a bit conflicted on the topic of pop stars involving themselves into politics. It is without a doubt their constitutional right, but I’m also aware that they aren’t politicians, so speaking out carelessly may influence fans to make the wrong decisions (voting for people with harmful/inefective policies. Conversely however, celebrities have the power to influence fans to vote for politicians with beneficial or effective policies. And why does it matter if a celebrity has no political experience? Nor too did Donald Trump before literally being elected as the President of the United States.
I’m not only unbothered Taylor Swift’s post, but in support of it. Thanks to her, Vote.org saw a spike in voter registration. vote.org reported nearly 65,000 people nationwide between the ages of 18 and 29 had registered since Oct. 7th. More than 40,000 people between the ages of 30 and 70+ registered. Voter apathy has been a longstanding issue nationwide, so politicians with young fanbases are a useful tool in galvanizing young people to vote. In addition, Marsha Blackburn is a Republican (not exactly a science-enthusiast party) and does indeed have a questionable political history. She’s even voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
I’m glad that Taylor Swift spoke out. Not only did she express personal growth and conviction in her values, she reinvigorated young people to politics, and publicly endorsed a politician who is in favor of effective policies. I think more pop stars and celebrities should follow suit.
What are your thoughts on this? I know @Red seems to be knowledgeable in the field of politics, so I’d like to hear your thoughts.