Can Taylor Swift move the political needle?

His first serious comment on politics can have a far-reaching effect, perhaps well beyond the mid-term.

On October 7, a day after the end of the North American leg of her Reputation World Tour tour, Taylor Swift made the headlines, not for her music, but for her politics. In an Instagram post to his 112 million followers, Swift, who is allowed to vote in Tennessee, sponsored the state's volunteer Democrats, Phil Bredesen for the US Senate, and Jim Cooper, of the US House of Representatives, at the election of November 6. She also sentenced Bredesen's opponent, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), claiming that Blackburn's poll record "calls me and terrifies me". Swift then encouraged anyone 18 years of age or older to register to vote.

Although Swift has already taken a stand on issues – in March, she showed her support for the March for Our Lives – she had never taken such a strong stance. And his passion could lead voters to the polls, says Andy Bernstein, executive director of HeadCount, a non-partisan voter registration organization.

"This is going to have a huge impact," said Bernstein, saying Swift's publication could lead to "tens of thousands" of people registering on the voting lists, based on HeadCount's reaction to monitoring the voting habits of other media publications. "She did more than just ask people to sign in. She explained why it's so important, when you talk to your heart, people notice it, and there are millions of people whose heart beats with Taylor Swift. "

Another result of Swift's actions could be to talk about other superstars. "Too often, artists at this level play the lead role," says Bernstein. "They will register us [voters]but they do not make statements as eloquent and energetic as she did. His position could have an impact not only on elections, but also on how artists use social media as leaders. "

Although Swift has received criticism, notably from President Donald Trump, Bernstein expects the negative reactions to be minimal. "For every fan that Taylor theoretically could lose, she could win two more, and her message has always been to empower and chart your own course."

Swift has not informed Bredesen or Cooper of its endorsement, nor of its current label, Big Machine Label Group. But Big Machine President / CEO Scott Borchetta applauded his move. "It takes the conversation to a new level for a generation that must act," said Borchetta Display panel. "Agree or disagree, the underlying message here is" Get up and be counted. "

I am writing this article about the upcoming mid-term elections on November 6th, during which I will be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past, I have been reluctant to publicly express my political views, but because of many events in my life and around the world in the past two years, I have a very different opinion about it now. I have always voted and will always vote according to the candidate who will protect and defend the human rights we all deserve in this country. I believe in the struggle for LGBTQ rights and for the fact that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is FALSE. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, disgusting and widespread. I can not vote for someone who will not want to fight for the dignity of ALL Americans, no matter the color of their skin, their gender or the ones they like. In the state of Tennessee, a woman named Marsha Blackburn is a candidate in the Senate. Although in the past and I want to continue to vote for women in office, I can not support Marsha Blackburn. His voting record in Congress bothers me and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the law on the re-authorization of violence against women, which aims to protect women from domestic violence, criminal harassment and date rape. She believes that businesses have the right to refuse to serve gay couples. She also thinks that they should not have the right to get married. These are not my Tennessee values. I will vote for Phil Bredesen in the Senate and Jim Cooper in the House of Representatives. Please, please, find out about the candidates who are in your state and vote according to who best represents your values. For many of us, it is possible that we never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on each point, but we still have to vote. So many intelligent, thoughtful and confused people are 18 years old in the last two years and now have the right and the privilege to make their vote count. But you must first 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 will find all the information. Good vote! ——

An article shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on October 7, 2018 at 4:33 pm PDT

This article appeared in the Oct. 13 issue of Billboard..