It may be laughable – the idea that, just moments after the debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump ended, pop icon Taylor Swift published an endorsement in which she signaled her support for the Democratic nomination as a “Childless Cat. Lady” for Harris- Waltz.
“I’m voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she’s fighting for these rights and I believe it takes warriors to champion,” Swift said in an Instagram post.
“I think she is a strong, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish more in this country if we are led calmly and not in chaos. I am very happy and impressed with her choice to be the running mate of @timwalz, who has stood up for LGBTQ rights +, IVF, and women’s rights to themselves for decades,” she said.
“I have done my research, and I have voted. Your research is all you need to do, and your choice must be made. I also want to say, especially for first-time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you must be registered! I also found it easier to vote early I will link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.
So, this is pointless blather, right? It sponge attention-sponging Kamala’s attention just a few minutes after the debate ended, and that’s it.
Well, as CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten pointed out in a segment Thursday, Democrats have been hoping for a little more than that.
First, it might be helpful to do some backtracking here and there to remind ourselves why Joe Biden is still in the race despite his declining health – mentally and physically – and why he was finally persuaded to drop out.
Biden and his people believe that the president is the only person who can put together the coalition that will lead the Democrats to victory in 2020: older Rust Belt working-class unions, more progressive young voters, and a broad ethnic, racial and coalition. religious minorities.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that the coalition is collapsing – partly among minorities, but especially among younger voters. The idea is that, by selling Biden to Kamala Harris, who appeals specifically to the young left, he will at least assemble that segment of the vote while addressing the weakness of black and Latino voters with minority candidates. They can convince hard-hat later.
However, it’s not enough how it works out, as Enten expressed in the air when talking about why Swift’s endorsement looms so large.
“Why does he need help? Well, let’s show you something that I’ve noticed during this campaign, which is the poor performance of Joe Biden and now Kamala Harris among young voters,” Enten said, before turning to a chart of polling data from the Cook Political Report.
“So, this is the Democratic margin versus Trump among voters aged 18 to 29 or under the age of 30. You go back four years ago at this time. Look, Joe Biden has a 28-point advantage. A 28-point advantage over Donald Trump. Now , you see when Joe Biden is out of the race, he’s only up seven points,” he said.
“Now, Kamala Harris has improved Joe Biden’s position. But look at this. He’s only up 15 points.”
Talk about Swift with young voters & voter registration, Harris & Democrats struggling on both counts vs September 2020.
Harris’ margin with voters under 30 is 15 points – worse than Biden’s 28 points. Also, the GOP has made huge gains over the Dems in NC/PA voter registration. pic.twitter.com/uFq3ek89tB
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) September 12, 2024
“It’s less than Joe Biden at this time among the youngest voters in our electorate. It’s only about half the margin that Joe Biden pulled,” said Enten.
“So, Kamala Harris is really going to get the support of Taylor Swift if she can move young voters, because the bottom line is that Kamala Harris, in fact, is not doing as well among young voters as the Democrats want. Act based on history.”
Wait – did we say “excitement” and “vibes” haven’t been spoiled? He has a campaign event that is basically a concert! Their veep candidates make dirty jokes about other veep candidates that will only get young voters, Very Onlineâ„¢! Quite a few celebrities not named Taylor Swift are supporting her! What else do you need?
If you need Taylor Swift to win over young voters, unfortunately, you need more.
To be clear, while Swift has been known as a liberal for some time now, her one experience participating in political contests is the 2018 Senate race in Tennessee. The race is essentially a toss-up between former Democratic Gov. Phil Breseden and GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn.
Swiftie-mania was a little less intense six years ago than it is now, but Taylor’s endorsement of Breseden in his home state did nothing – or less than nothing, considering the race was statistically tied in the polls when Swift made the endorsement and Blackburn finished won by almost 11 points.
But again, Breseden doesn’t face the same challenges as Harris. Even if he won the debate — it was a 3-on-1 contest, due to moderator bias, so it’s not surprising — the polls were still disappointing for Harris given the media-gasm he received when it happened. Democratic National Convention. And when debating tip scales, it’s usually between people who have been set to compete.
Due to the general apathy towards the Democratic ticket of young voters this time, and the lack of massive returns given the switch to Harris, no amount of debate is likely to fix the underperformance in what could be the most important demographic of Kamala.
So there you have it: In Swift they are trusted. It’s not exactly an inspiring thought for Kamala’s campaign – especially when they realize their fate may be hitched, in part, to a woman who became profoundly famous for singing about her failed relationships.
This article first appeared in The Western Journal.
