If Democrats believe they need Taylor Swift’s help to win vote from young voters, they are in desperate trouble. A large portion of Swift’s fanbase, known as “Swifties,” skew heavily toward younger and more liberal voters. While Kamala Harris is polling better than Joe Biden, this isn’t saying much. She’s only up a handful of points in the polls. As a result, Democrats felt they needed a perfectly timed Swift’s endorsement just minutes after the debate ended between Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Even CNN pointed out that Democrats appear to be in total free fall under Harris’ nomination, failing to unite minorities and especially young voters. Swift’s endorsement is a clear sign that Democrats are scrambling, and it’s appearing to backfire. It was believed that Biden could best hold together this coalition that led Democrats to victory in 2020. Winning the race will require broad appeal to older working-class as well as young voters.
Making matters worse for Democrats, Swift’s endorsement has sparked widespread memes about the singer who is notorious for writing and singing songs that are about choosing the wrong person and making bad decisions. “Of course, Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris,” one meme joked. “90% of her songs are about making bad decisions.”
Moreover, Swift has identified as an outspoken liberal and anti-Trump activist for years. In 2020, she even baked cookies in support of Biden and Harris. It comes as no surprise that Swift and some of her supporter will vote for Harris. The bigger indicator is that Swift’s timely placed endorsement shows Democrats are facing trouble in demographics once considered a stronghold for Democratic candidates. Lastly, Swift’s prior endorsements have not always led her favored candidate to victory. For example, Swift endorsed Democrat Gov. Phil Breseden in a tight race, but he was trounced in an 11-point victory by GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
Referring to Harris, CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said, “Why does she need the help? Well, let’s just point out something that I have been noting all along during this campaign, and that is the underperformance that both Joe Biden and now even Kamala Harris has among young voters. So, this is the Democrat versus Trump margin among voters age 18 to 29 or under the age of 30. You go back four years ago at this point. Look, Joe Biden had a 28-point advantage. A 28-point advantage over Donald Trump. Now, you look when Joe Biden dropped out of the race, he was up by just seven points,” he said.
“Now, Kamala Harris has improved on Joe Biden’s standing. But look at this. She’s only up by 15 points. That is significantly less than Joe Biden was up at this point among the youngest voters in our electorate. It’s only about half the margin that Joe Biden was pulling in,” Enten said. “So, Kamala Harris will absolutely welcome in the support of Taylor Swift if she can move young voters at all, because the bottom line is Kamala Harris is, in fact, not doing as well among young voters as you might expect a Democrat to necessarily be doing based upon history.”
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift said. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades,” she continued.
“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. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.”
