This is huge! Taylor Swift, who previously kept her political views private her entire life, just issued a powerful endorsement of Democrats Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives, and urged everyone to vote! Of Democratic Senate candidates who are currently behind their Republican opponents in the polls, Bredesen is closest to catching up. If Bredesen wins, he is very likely to be our 51st Democratic Senator, and this endorsement might just push him over the finish line. Taylor Swift is the hottest pop star of her generation. She has tremendous influence over the younger generation that is normally least likely to vote, and that is most overwhelmingly Democratic. Because of her her southern country music roots and the care she took to never reveal her political opinions prior to today, she has a massive, fiercely devoted fan base in the red states where we need the most help, especially her home state of Tennessee, where she has promised to vote.
Below is her Instagram post:
I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. 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! 🗳😃🌈
Bredesen responded to her support with a reference to her hit “…Ready for It?”
The beautiful thing about Taylor’s endorsement is how authentic, vulnerable, and honest it sounds, how it highlights aspects of the Democratic platform that really appeals to her generation, and how pragmatic it is in its call for them to vote for the candidate who best reflects their values even if they don’t agree 100% with that candidate. She is a powerful voice of her generation that can speak (sing) for and to them in ways few others can.
I’m so glad Taylor Swift is on our side. Knowing how much her songs tend to reflect her own experiences, feelings, and views , I have a feeling we are going to see some pro-Democratic songs from her in the coming years, and maybe even some campaign songs, one of which she might sing at the inauguration of the Democratic President in 2021. I fantasize about her someday running for office as a Democrat herself someday—she would be very successful because of her charisma and the fan base she already has, especially in red states.
Look what you made her do, Republicans! She don't like your perfect crime, how you laugh when you lie.
She realized that bandaids don’t fix bullet holes, and Republicans say sorry just for show: