Right now, Taylor Swift is the biggest popstar in the world. Nobody’s bigger. She’s also an astoundingly inept judge of character. Her capacity for misjudging others is legendary.
Fortunately, she sings about all the lousy, stupid choices she makes. In fact, she’s built a very successful career by being an inept judge of character.
Anyway, the same woman who thought it would be a swell idea to date John Mayer made a critically important, earth-shattering announcement earlier this week (I hope you’re sitting down): Taylor Swift is… Team Kamala!
And you should be, too!
“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country. Recently, I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured my fears about AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth. I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LBGTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades. I’ve done my own research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.”
She signed the letter as a “childless cat lady.”
A few observations:
First, did you notice that she didn’t mention anything that actually happened in the debate? If Swift watched it — like she claimed — and was so moved by Kamala’s performance that she had to make a political endorsement ASAP, it’s a weird thing to overlook. An honest, sincere person would be eager to share what moved them so much.
But I think we know the reason for Swift’s omission: This statement was written by someone else, several days (if not weeks) prior to the debate. And it’s probably gone through multiple drafts with multiple revisions. (It’s hard to delve into details about something that hasn’t happened yet.)
So, if it was a prewritten statement, why did Swift release it when she did?
Bob Lefsetz is a music analyst, critic, blogger and journalist. He’s also had his own misadventures with Swift, who (allegedly) wrote the 2010 hit song “Mean” as payback for his criticism. Like Swift, Bob Lefsetz is a leftie, and he was flummoxed by the timing of her endorsement:
“For someone supposedly so publicity savvy, to announce on the same night as the debate was a gross miscalculation,” he wrote. “You want to make your statement when it will get the most ink, the most attention, when it will have the most impact and spread. You don’t want to compete with another news story. …This was completely mishandled. Swift should have announced on the VMAs, where she will look big in contrast to all the gnats appearing. She should have waited for a slow news day. This is PR 101…”
What Lefsetz is missing is that Taylor Swift knew EXACTLY what she was doing. Do you really think the world’s biggest popstar — armed with gazillions of managers, agents, assistants, brand-builders and publicists — would drop a presidential endorsement(!) without premeditation? The entire thing was orchestrated from the beginning, probably weeks ago.
But what’s most telling is that Swift opted to drop her endorsement when it mattered the least.
In the PR biz, the best time to release bad news is when nobody’s looking. The Friday before a holiday weekend is the most popular release date. (Pro Tip: Pay close attention to government agencies on those kinds of Fridays, because they use this tactic a LOT.) The goal is to sandwich your negative story in between bigger, brighter, more memorable events and activities, so your reputational harm is minimized.
Taylor Swift — the most publicity-savvy entertainer of our generation — is treating her endorsement of Kamala Harris like it’s BAD news. This was the most backhanded endorsement in recent memory.
But why?
One theory: Taylor Swift is a very valuable brand. Brands are vulnerable to public opinion. Valuable brands with deep pockets often do their own polling, especially when public opinion is uncertain. In this kind of volatile situation, I’d be more surprised if Swift’s team didn’t conduct polling than if they did.
If so, it seems the numbers for Harris were... lacking.
Taylor Swift might’ve agreed to endorse Kamala, but don’t expect her to hitch her superstar brand to the Harris bandwagon. That’s not gonna happen.
After all, Swift still has an image to protect.
But maybe, when November comes and goes, Taylor Swift will write a song about her.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member