On Politics and Entertainment

Taylor Swift has a history of what could be considered a moderate feminism, and of social liberalism

A recent Newsweek poll found that nearly one-fifth of U.S. voters would consider voting for a candidate recommended by singer Taylor Swift, now one of the most talked about media personalities in the country and the world.

The results of that poll explain what appears to be a sudden Republican political campaign against Swift, who in 2020 endorsed Joe Biden and two Democratic hopefuls for seats in Tennessee. But beyond that, the speculation casts doubt on the certainty of an inevitable Republican Donald Trump victory march to the White House.

Or that Democrats are now grasping at straws to think, or delude themselves, that their candidate can repeat the feat of defeating Trump, as he did four years ago.

It also highlights that world politics is at a peculiar moment when many of the protagonists are originally media figures, like Trump himself.

In the case of Swift, a 34-year-old singer, she does not appear to be in pursuit of a political career. In fact, politics seemed somewhat far from her concerns until this week, when reports emerged that some Democratic strategists believe it would be valuable to ask her for an endorsement to bring Biden closer to young voters.

The paranoid reaction of Republican groups and alleged Trump allies to the mere possibility of such an endorsement seems to belie the notion of an inevitable Trump win in November’s election.

The singer has not spoken out, but Fox commentators and spokespersons for far-right groups have already issued advice, or rather threats, for her to avoid doing so.

Swift is now in the public spotlight: She is in the middle of a lengthy world tour and in the eye of a media storm focused on her private life.

Her public romance with the less popular and wealthy but also famous Kansas City Chiefs football player Travis Kelce is the subject of worldwide curiosity and, according to the U.S. press, has translated into a publicity bonanza for the games he plays, which she attends.

According to press reports, there are already claims that Swift’s presence has brought a whole new audience to the NFL and revalued it. Swift’s fans, or at least a large part of the so-called “Swifties,” are primarily women, many of whom are not even 18 years old. But many others are: At 34 years of age, the singer has been in the music business for almost 20 years, and a large number of her fans grew up with her.

Swift also has a history of what might be considered moderate feminism and of social liberalism. The noise around Swift is a reflection of the situation in a country where there is less and less public confidence in government institutions and an election between candidates who fail to convince voters.