In an election where the American voters’ intentions contested, it’s only natural that a post by American singer Taylor Swift would garner significant media attention, especially since she publicly declared her support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
In less than 24 hours after expressing her support for Harris on her Instagram account, Taylor Swift’s post received over 10 million likes from her 238 million followers.
Traditionally, despite their global fame as Hollywood and music stars, American artists do not typically play a decisive role in U.S. elections. It’s known that they tend to lean towards Democratic Party candidates.
However, amid the intense polarization between Harris and Donald Trump, reflected in polls showing a mere 1% advantage for one over the other indicating that the potential winner is not yet clear, the influence of some American voters by their favourite movie or music stars could become a crucial factor in the ballot boxes on November 5th.
Other stars who have taken an active stance in supporting the Democrats include Meryl Streep, John Legend, Barbra Streisand, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ariana Grande, and Cardi B, while there are Republican-leaning artists like rapper Amber Rose, singer Kid Rock, Fifty Cent, and Kanye West. Meanwhile, Robert De Niro, George Clooney, and others have remained silent.
In any case, the issues that capture the attention of American entertainment industry stars may vary significantly from the general concerns and social and economic issues of the broader American electorate. For instance, Swift expressed her pleasure in her post about Harris selected as Vice President, noting Harris’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, support for in-vitro fertilization, and dedication to protecting women’s bodily autonomy.
Although loyal party voters generally stick to their party lines regardless of the opinions of celebrities, non-partisan and undecided voters who make up around 20% of the electorate and are a diverse group might be more concerned with pressing issues such as taxes, inflation, healthcare, abortion, gun rights, crime, immigration, and border security.