Minutes after Donald Trump and Kamala Harris concluded their first presidential debate on Tuesday, pop star Taylor Swift confirmed her support for the Democratic candidate to her 283 million followers on Instagram.
While celebrity endorsements don’t typically have much of an impact on a candidate’s trajectory, Swift’s has the potential to be “one of the most significant celebrity endorsements we’ve ever seen in a presidential campaign,” Lawrence O’Donnell wrote in MSNBC.
In addition, the race for the White House still looks “evenly matched.” European Newsand Swift’s support “is likely to inspire enthusiasm among young voters.”
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American elections have “long been influenced by celebrity influence,” but the effects are “weak at best.” historyAnd celebrities are often the ones who benefit the most from endorsements.
What are the most eye-catching endorsements?
The history of presidential celebrity endorsements dates back to 1920, when Warren G. Harding became the “first celebrity-endorsed president” with the support of movie stars Mary Pickford and Al Jolson. Shadow Atlas.
At the time, the policy was so effective that Harding received “the largest share of the popular vote in history” and “his approval ratings remained high throughout his term.”
Since then, celebrity endorsements have become a regular part of presidential campaigns. Singer Frank Sinatra supported Democrat Franklin Roosevelt in his last presidential run in 1944 and briefly supported John F. Kennedy, but the relationship “broke down,” according to History. Sinatra later sided with the Republicans and supported Ronald Reagan in his first presidential run.
In more recent times, Oprah Winfrey supported Barack Obama in his campaigns starting in 2008, while Beyonce Knowles later supported Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and now Kamala Harris.
In the UK, celebrity endorsements are less common, but probably reached their peak during the 1997 New Labour election, when the likes of Noel Gallagher, Sir Alex Ferguson, and even Ross Kemp publicly endorsed Tony Blair for prime minister.
Why do celebrities support political movements?
The main reason celebrities support politicians is that they think it can “sway votes,” Trevor Hughes writes in USA Today.
In many ways, it would have been easier for them to say nothing and “risk alienating their fans.” Michael Jordan declined to endorse a Democratic candidate in his home state of North Carolina in 1990 because “Republicans buy sneakers, too,” but was later accused of “putting profit over principle.” The Guardian.
However, other celebrities see politics as a “natural extension of their brand” and are therefore more willing to speak out. This includes Swift, whose songs often include sentiments about “sexism” and “gender-based double standards” and who is therefore likely to support candidates whose policies align with her public views.
Are they useful?
It is thought that celebrity candidates can generate enthusiasm for a candidate, but their impact on the final outcome is “difficult to quantify”. The New Yorker.
Oprah was estimated to have had the greatest impact on Obama’s support, with economists claiming she may have “earned Obama more than a million votes.”
But support can also backfire. Celebrities who supported Obama later endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, which may be one of the reasons why she was labeled an “elite” in Donald Trump’s “anti-celebrity crusade.”
There is indeed evidence that celebrity endorsements can draw attention and engagement to political events, even when actual voting results are hard to determine. Hughes said Swift’s last post about the 2023 election drove “a record 30,000-plus people” to register to vote, and that celebrities can “play an important role in encouraging first-time voters to learn about elections and register,” even if they stay away from partisan politics.