Taylor Swift Just Made a Major Political Statement Ahead of the 2018 Midterms
Taylor Swift has long been considered an apolitical figure in pop culture, avoiding any mention of her personal politics and remaining "neutral" in the public eye even in the face of much criticism on the subject (and as many of her peers staked their claim, and their stance, as progressives).
And in an Instagram statement posted Sunday night, Swift acknowledged her past "reluctance" to weigh in on the ballot box, but noted that the 2018 midterms represent a moment that is, well, unusual. And potentially terrible! "Due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years," Swift writes that she now feels compelled to make her views public, and goes as far as offering endorsements in both the races for the Senate and House of Representatives she'll be voting on in her home state, Tennessee. In explaining her decision, she writes:
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.
Taylor Swift is coming out as a Democrat, y'all. Or that she's voting Dem at least come this November 6th.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT
Current Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, a Republican and occasional Trump critic (who still falls in line with GOP rhetoric and voting, let's be clear) announced he would not be running for re-election last year. Those vying to take over his seat in the midterms are Republican Marsha Blackburn, who currently serves as the congresswoman representing Tennessee's 7th district, and Democrat Phil Bredesen, who previously served as the state's Governor. (Independent candidates will, of course, also be on the ballot.)
As of the first week of October, political polling analysis site FiveThirtyEight labels the race as "leaning Republican," while the Cook Political Report is calls it a "toss-up." Swift, then, is doing her best to shake it up (yes, I tried for a "Shake It Off," pun deal with it) by confirming she's voting for the Dems.
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.
Bredesen, her candidate, has already shared Swift's Insta, writing on Twitter that he's "honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done." Blackburn, who reporter Yashar Ali notes has previously fundraised at a Swift concert, has yet to comment. Also, and not that anyone would DARE accuse Swift of peddling #fakenews (except, oh wait, conservative Twitter pundits are already there, go figure!), but her voting records, via VoteSmart.org, backs up Swift's take on her politics.
Swift continued her caption with an endorsement of Jim Cooper, the Democratic candidate (and incumbent) running in the race for Tennessee's 5th district in Nashville. Cooper's opponent is Republican Jody Ball.
Swift concluded her statement with a call to encourage people–and young people in particular–to register to vote and make sure their voice could (should!) be heard come November. And in other conclusions, as the writer Kara Brown puts it perfectly:
If you had told me two years ago Kanye would be running around in a MAGA hat while Taylor Swift was endorsing democratic candidates, I would have smacked you to the ground and stolen your wallet for wasting my time.
- KB (@KaraRBrown) October 8, 2018
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