Taylor Swift at the 2018 American Music Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison (Getty Images)
To all the people who think celebrities need to keep their mouths shut about politics, this one’s for you. Taylor Swift recently posted a message on her Instagram, opening up publicly for the first time about her political opinions. The award-winning singer-songwriter announced that she will vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 6 in Tennessee, supporting Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. Read her message in full below:
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Within 24 hours of Swift’s post, more than 65,000 people registered to vote according to Vote.org (to compare, 190,178 voters registered nationwide during the entire month of September). The number of people between the ages of 18 and 29 who registered to vote in Tennessee also reached around 102,000 within two days following Swift’s post. These eye-opening facts reveal the huge impact artists like Swift have on the socio-political climate.
Supports stake out their spot for Rep. Beto O’ Rourke’s “Turn Out For Texas” rally. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call (Getty Images)
The star’s influence is not surprising considering her 112 million followers on Instagram alone, not to mention the tens of millions of fans that follow her on other social media accounts. Swift has been criticized in the past for not speaking up on issues, like equality and domestic violence, that she sings about.
Now, Swift has put her money where her mouth is, taking a chance at polarizing her brand by standing behind political issues.
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Not only did Swift prove the impact celebrities can have when they utilize their platforms to speak out, but she also brought us back to an important conversation that, for some reason, still needs to be addressed: celebrities and athletes should never shut up about politics and “stick to their day jobs.” There are some people who believe that celebrities are somehow not human beings who care about what’s happening in the world around them. Many celebrities, like LeBron James, George Clooney, and (unfortunately) Kanye West have voiced their convictions. A person’s job does not disqualify them to share their beliefs, political opinions, or their stances. To all the haters, “shake it off,” Taylor. We’re proud of you.
