If you asked me 24 hours ago, “What do you think you’ll be writing about on Monday?” I would have said “probably Mitch McConnell or Princess Eugenie.” But no, here we are on the Monday after a sexual assailant was sworn into the Supreme Court, talking about… Taylor Swift. For years now, Taylor has been criticized for refusing to discuss who she votes for, or for not offering up her powerful endorsement for certain candidates. To be clear, everyone has the right to vote for whoever they want. But also to be clear, Taylor’s silence on certain subjects was becoming massively problematic, especially since her silence was used as a de facto endorsement for white supremacy and neo-Nazis. Failing to simply come out and say “I have no desire to be the ‘perfect Aryan princess’ to the far right wing of the Republican party” meant that many people tended to align her with their principles. Now, at long last, T-Swizzle is shutting that sh-t down. From her Instagram:
I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. 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.
I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. 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.
I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.
So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to 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 can find all the info. Happy Voting!
[From Taylor Swift’s Instagram]
Look guys! Our little snake is all grown up! I’m so proud of her. I’m not joking, I’m beaming with pride! Taylor at long last has made it explicit – she believes in full-throated LGBTQ rights and women’s rights. She’s appalled by racial injustice. And not only that, she’s not telling her young fans to wait for some ideologically pure candidate – “For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.” That’s exactly right. Also: Marsha Blackburn is a complete a–hole, and I’m glad Taylor called her out by name.
Photos courtesy of Instagram, Backgrid.
Good.
I really hope Blackburn is booted out, she is a horrible person.
I turned to my teen son and said “wow, taylor swift is ‘woke now”.
Isn’t Bredesen anti-marriage equality, though? He’s definitely pro-Kavanaugh.
as she said, she’s going with the candidate that most aligns with her views.
She said that not every candidate is going to align exactly with your views but that voting still needs to happen. In her mind, he’s better than Blackburn (who is the worst and needs to go)
Phil is definitely problematic, but he’s better that Marsha who is so far up Trump’s rear that she’s coming out his mouth. I’m voting for Phil because to do otherwise ensures a Marsha victory
As far as the pro-Kavanaugh thing goes…let’s say Bredesen was in the Senate instead of Corker and Synema was in Flake’s seat and everything else was the same for the past 2 years. It wouldn’t matter what Bredesen thought of Kavanaugh b/c Schumer would be Senate Majority Leader and Feinstein would be chair of the Judiciary and Kavanaugh would not even have gotten a hearing. Nobody would know that he is an arrogant drunk and a likely rapist, because he would be getting the Merrick Garland treatment.
This holds true for Joe Manchin also. If Democrats had two more seats in the Senate he never would have even had the option of deciding on Kavanaugh.
We may not agree with these guys 100% and long-term I would like them replaced by something better, but for the moment, they are the best available options. If you can help them get (or stay) in office, you should.
I’ll *slightly* disagree with you here. I think a Democrat majority US Senate would have given Kavanaugh a hearing. Why? Because to continue the Mitch McConnell method would have legitimized the tit-for-tat behavior of failing to confirm appointments based on partisanship.
*That said*, I think the hearing would have resulted in a more thorough FBI investigation, without a deadline, without constraints on who they could interview. a Democrat majority US Senate would *take its time*, and demand 100% of the Kavanaugh GWB Whitehouse years documents to thoroughly review.
The end result would be to vote against Kavanaugh, but the US Senate would use regular order to do it (as John McCain would have wanted, ironically).
The state AGs of Maryland and Connecticut may till authorize investigations of Kavanaugh for past sexual assault. More thorough reports may still be issued at the state level with sworn statements from witnesses. I don’t think this is over.
I think it’s important that she pointed out that you have to vote, even if you don’t agree with a candidate on 100% of the issues. I get really tired of people justifying not voting because none of the candidates are perfect, you act like an adult and choose between the available options. I’ve heard from too many people that didn’t vote in 2016 because Hillary wasn’t perfect enough for them and we’re living the nightmare result of that.
It’s like forcing the rest of us to go shoeless in the winter because 12% Protest voted for lack of platform hybrid Birkenstock stilettos.
@ SA : I always tell the I-don’t-vote-because-I-don’t-like-anyone-running types that “if you don’t vote, then you can’t bitch” about the results or the policies or anything stemming from that election. Because YOU didn’t vote because YOU didn’t get a perfect candidate sent to you by Abercrombie Fitch or the Federalist Society or whatever. Don’t complain if you decided to forfeit your democratic rights. Personally I would never give up my right to bitch, so I always vote.
I also.think that the tide is turning against artists trybto have it both ways. Because if #Grabyourwaller, I always check before I buy and no longer give the benefit of the doubt. My pennies count
As a longtime card-carrying swiftie, I was 99.9% sure my girl was a Democrat. Based on previous statements, her charitable donations (going back years not just recently) and even her friends. But god it’s nice to see her clearly state her views.
I feel the exact same way. I’m proud of her for finally stepping forward!
I mean, she’s on the record saying she was excited the Barack Obama election was her first and she’s said things in support of the LGBTQ community before. This isn’t exactly a surprise for anyone paying attention.
Agreed. I don’t even mind that she grabbed that Trumper money and waited until after her US tour to make this statement. 😂
@ Emily,
That’s what I was thinking, that she waited until she had a certain number in her bank account so that she could withstand the hit and keep living the life that she wanted to, lol. But I actually teared up when I got to the end of the first paragraph. We are at war, and she realizes this, and it’s good that she is finally speaking out. We need all of the footsoldiers that we can get.
Same! Take their money and then 🖕
Same and omg the good fights I had on this site back in the day defending her lmao. As other pointed out, this is not a surprise for anyone paying attention, but I like a lot how she phrased it. I’m happy at least some people will finally stop attacking her for nothing
ITA, this is a great statement.
I’ve never been a fan (my music taste is just v different and personality wise I like my celebs like Rihanna or Awkwafina), but I think she’s made a great, strong statement, I also LOVE that she urges fans to follow THEIR values not hers (even though I 100% agree with the values she’s mentioned in her statement). Awesome message.
Also not surprised about her making this statement – she clearly has a strong stance against sexual harrassers/abusers so I feel like the Kavanaugh situation was a final straw for her that drove her to make a real comment.
Good for her!
Watch everyone forgive her immediatly and turn her into the flawless social justice queen. Ugh.
This is the absolute bare minimum and its news that she does the bare minimum.
I feel the same. Bare minimum and over 2 years late.
Here’s hoping it makes a difference.
I was just thinking this. It’s great that she’s coming out with her views, but now? After we’ve already lost so much? Feels a bit too little too late. But if she can help turn the tide in these midterms, great!
Lindy79
Doubt it would have mattered much.
Her core fanbase weren’t even of voting age in 2016.
In her statement she’s clearly appealing to first time voters.
The people who are angry with her on Twitter are middle aged moms and dads who probably have teenage kids.
Her younger fans are out there clapping or fighting with trump supporters.
If she can get more first time voters to the vote in the midterms more power to her.
I think the fact that she’s coming out now as opposed to joining the celebrity pack earlier…..gives her current decision much more impact. I’ve never been a fan (or NOT a fan…neutral), but she gets great respect from me. On top of that her statement was so considered and THOUGHTFUL and articulated so well. I think she became vocal at a very important time and am glad she waited.
I am not a fan of Swift (she actually annoys me) but you know the saying “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago but the second best time is now”. How can you fault the girl for finally declaring how she feels?
No…
But what Maya says below: she has a massive following on instagram (and the news reports on her, too). If a percentage of her massive following listens and votes? That’s HUGE.
So which Democrat is running against Marsha Blackburn?
Edit: I read further down that it’s Jim Cooper.
Phil Bredesen is running against Blackburn for the Senate seat. Jim Cooper is running for the House seat.
Blackburn is presently in the House but wants to be a senator.
Thanks, Minx.
I agree that it’s huge.
As Kashana Cauley tweeted, “Someone should probably start a support group for those of us who originally picked the wrong side of the Kanye/Taylor Swift debate.”
@Esmom – that thread is hysterical. Thanks for the heads up.
Also, @esmom, thank you for suggesting Kashana Cauley. I like finding new Twitter people and I especially liked that she linked to Open Culture’s tweet about how to download a stamp to put Harriet Tubman’s face over Andrew Jackson’s on the $20.
(Are links allowed? Sometimes they don’t get through, sometimes they do and I never know why, so please feel free to edit my comment and delete this if it’s not allowed – I’m not the designer or anything, I just like a touch of civil disobedience in the face of GOP cruelty and stupidity) https://mobile.twitter.com/openculture/status/1047962319722934272
I think the Dems need all the help they can get, and if she is using her platform for good, then more power to her.
As someone who lives in TN, this is not the bare minimum. I fully appreciate her doing this. MB is the worst.
Was she in this position 2 years ago though? I think her social capital was a bit lower and she would have been accused of using her fame to deflect from the Kanye/Kardashian fiasco. She’s been out of the spotlight, in a stable relationship that is more private than her previous ones, and she doesn’t have a new album/tour to promote.
She’s pretty savvy, so I think she knew that when she released a statement it would have to be at a significant time in politics. She’s been positioning herself to anyone listening closely. If she had been sharing her views along the way, the impact at a time like this would have diminished. And she wasn’t going to change the minds of any senators with Kavanagh and there was a lot of very vocal support for those opposed.
I agree, it’s a step in the right direction, but she can certainly do more to influence her young fans. Democrats really need those votes.
She has over 100 millions followers and if even 20 percent listens to her and vote then she has really done well.
Now if the celeb with the most followers in the world aka Selena Gomez do something like this as well then that will really help as well.
Does it make a difference sometimes ? Which celebrity’s views have made a big difference in the past? (Genuine question)
Susan Sarandon. 😐
Oprah. Her endorsement of Obama when Hillary was a massive fave to win both in polls and within the party was significant. I think she even travelled to Iowa and was credited with helping him win that state which in turn made southern black voters ( in 2007 Clinton was polling much better with black voters than Obama) that had previously been unsure that he was capable of winning over white votes and thought it might be useless to vote for him, turn out for him.
Taylor is not Oprah but with first time voters she might make a difference. Remember the 13 year olds that have loved her since Red are now of voting age.
Also I’d Like to remind you that republicans have voted in one actor and one reality star for president.
donald trump
I highly doubt anyone changed their vote because of Susan Sarandon. I’ve never once heard a person call her an influence to their voting decision making.
Maybe for those who are undecided, words of someone they care about can sway them. However, if anyone is undecided at this point in time, they are probably in an institution. People are clearly one way or the other. First Cult President Ever
Thanks for your answers 🙂
Em, I disagree. I think Oprah maybe played a small part, but to me what really moved President Obama from second candidate to, “he can actually win this” was the endorsement of Senator Kennedy and the Kennedy clan. When Senator Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy (and other Kennedys) were on stage giving a full-throttled endorsement of Obama, that really changed the dynamics of the race.
I believe this because I was thinking how far we’ve fallen since we lost Senator Kennedy. Would the senate be as dumb as it is if he was still alive? Also, morbidly I thought why did he have to die and these jerk a-holes get to live?
I think Taylor could sway her young fans in red states or with republican parents, people that aren’t all that involved and would otherwise not vote or would vote like the people around them. I doubt it will affect more than maybe a couple hundred people though.
@tania
Kennedy wasn’t a celebrity he was a politican. We are talking about celebrities.
The Oprah effect is documented. Also she endorsed him In early 2007 when literally nobody was endorsing him even in the Democratic Party they were all set on Hillary. Kennedy endorsed him in early 2008. Obamas poll numbers were terrible at the point when Oprah endorsed him and the common idea was that Edwards was a stronger challenger to Hillary than Obama.
There are certain celebrities that can make a difference that doesn’t mean all of them can. Oprah is one of them or at least was when she had her talk show.
@Em, I’m well aware that the Kennedys weren’t celebrities. My point was, even with Oprah’s star power and celebrity status, their very public endorsement of him was what really started the tide to turn and help him win the nomination.
I don’t know how great of an influence Oprah has on “her” base since a lot are white women and they’re pretty split on the Kavanaugh appointment.
I make up my own mind, and it wouldn’t be changed by what a celebrity posts on social media. A lot of Selena Gomez followers probably aren’t even old enough to vote
And a lot are just bots lol
Agreed whole heartedly. She’s never been my cup of tea, but she’s doing the right thing. And after this last week, we need more of that.
She’s got a good PR team. Her timing is spot on.
I honestly think Swift is all about the money. For her to do this means she’s had it and she is willing to sacrifice some of her fan-base. I’m very surprised. It comes in late as well as she should have said something during the Kavanaugh investigation of she wanted to ride a wave and be an anthem to all those rallies and demonstrations. This is a sign that things are rotting in the kingdom of USA.
I might be cynical but she’s already got the money.
It feels like by coming out now she’s ‘joining the movement’.
She wasn’t bothered about women and politics 2 years ago.
@Maum: Exactly. Also she could have said something before her tour but she waited to rake in that money too.
I hope that’s exactly what she did. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of deplorables.
No. This is unfair. I have always wished she would come out boldly but never expected it. None of us have any idea what it is like to be targeted by the masses. Look at what is happening to Dr Ford right now. Doing this puts a huge target on Taylor’s back. The Trumpians will come for her HARD now – especially hard because many thought she was one of theirs and will feel betrayed. I have no doubt that she will receive death and rape threats and will have to up her security. She knows all of this and did it anyway. Good for her.
I currently live in Blackburn’s district and she’s straight up a horrible representive. She needs to go and I hope this helps push her out. Also, Jim Cooper is truly one of the good guys who really is about representing his constituents/. It always makes me sad that I live just outside of his district and can’t vote for him.
Hi Nashville girl! Jim is my district so I got you! I love that guy-he came to the first women’s march and talked with hundreds of people.
I so wish I could vote for Jim Cooper. Unfortunately, I’m stuck with Jimmy Duncan who is retiring. The Republican turd blossom running for his seat is HORRIBLE!
Even though I don’t live in his district, someone encourage me to contact him about a problem I’m dealing with. We have asked Bredeson, Corker, and Duncan numerous times to see if they can cut through some of the bureaucratic red tape. We have money that the IRS seized from us and they found in our favor in three years ago. They still haven’t released the money. Jim Cooper and his staff are working on it. And the reason why my elected officials are probably not helping me is because I’ve been a very outspoken participant in press conferences and rallies advocating for the ACA. Several people very involved in the TN political world have this theory, so I know it’s not just me being paranoid. The fact that I don’t even live in this district, and he’s willing to help me means a lot.
At the very least, this statement was worth watching a bunch of middle aged white dudes losing their sh*t on Twitter over this.
And Charlie Kirk. He’s in his 20s and he completely lost it.
He might be in his 20s but he has the mind and soul of a middle aged white dude.
He is now claiming that she could not possibly have written that message on her own.
So in his mind, he created an image that she was a conservative who was also his girlfriend. And now that this fantasy has been shattered, he’s losing it.
Oh, you mean West Point reject Charlie Kirk? Who does not have a fraction of Taylor’s follower numbers on twitter? And half of his numbers are likely Russian bots? The same Charlie Kirk who spouts pre-written talking points and is then lauded as the next Paul Ryan “young gun” for the new and fascist GOP? The guy who is being amplified by hard-right media after their other false prophets, like Milo Yiannopoulous, face planted? That guy?? He’ll be lucky to get a job cleaning up concert venues after Swifties are done with him.
I think my favorite part of this is that now these middle-aged white dudes have to act like they love a legitimately crazy Kanye while their Aryan prince betrayed them.
FULL CIRCLE, GUYS. WE HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE.
hahahahahahahaha. omg. we are doomed.
Right? For all the times they laugh at “snowflakes” and rip on the “so-called tolerant left” they sure were triggered by Taylor Swift’s post.
I don’t think the criticism is so much Taylor isn’t political but that she dips her toe in the water and runs out. She says something that has political tones but doesn’t follow through. She says she’s a feminist but didn’t say anything about the marches after Trump was elected until long after it was over. She didn’t mention anything about the groping by the dj. It is her personal business but it wouldn’t have come out if she wasn’t sued. Then when it did come out she tried to be a martyr. She still hasn’t said anything about the Me Too movement. It’s just annoying how she wants to be all things to everybody. Although she released this statement Taylor isn’t going be political.
Um Taylor donated 100k to times up fund on its launch. One of the highest donations by a celebrity.
She also tweeted on the day of the women’s march in support, but i’ll give you that it was a vague nonpolitical tweet.
She tried to deal with her legal case (groping) quietly. Like she does all legal matters. When it went to trial she couldn’t make a statement until it was over. Then she made a statement and donated large sums to sexual assault charities/organisations.
I get she’s coming late to the game but at least drag her on the correct things not your completely mis-remembered facts.
I think she’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. As I understand it, she’s been quietly active behind the scenes. If she spoke out more, people would be screaming at her to stay in her lane. I think keeping relatively quiet yet active and then speaking out when it might have a big impact, like now, isn’t a bad way to go.
She really is. I don’t like Taylor, but it’s not her responsibility to denounce the GOP or some fringe group of Nazis that likes her. It’s great that she’s spoken out now, but all of this “too little, too late” stuff is nonsense. She isn’t responsible for white women and 63 MILLION Americans voting for Trump and she isn’t responsible for Kavanaugh being confirmed.
I agree. Also, people forget that she is putting a HUGE target on her back with this statement. It is very scary to be the target of rabid, angry men, even if you have bodyguards. She just kicked the WASP nest (I couldn’t resist the pun), and they are coming for her now. I think her southern roots make this a bigger risk than say someone like Gaga or Katy Perry, where they didn’t have so many conservative fans. I think the extreme right wingers feel betrayed, and honestly, I am kind of scared for her.
There’s a difference between being political and standing by silently as actual Nazis coopt your image. I don’t need Taylor Swift to become a suffragette, but it would be nice for her to show some moral backbone and stand against the actual Nazis holding her up as an ideal. I was glad to see her make this statement and reclaim her image from those alt right tools.
I understand critiquing Taylor Swifts politics. She has displayed problematic attitudes towards gender and race in her music videos.
However I don’t think it’s fair to criticise her desire to quietly handle the aftermath of being publicly groped by a colleague at a work function. I think doing so places the onus on her instead of the dj; she did nothing wrong and (like any woman) is entitled to privacy while she deals with a man who violated her boundaries.
Also she donated a massive amount of money to Kesha’s legal fund which really impressed me.
Maybe Taylor Swift isn’t perfect? But there are better things to criticise her than discreetly taking a dickhead to court.
I’m proud of Taylor! 🙂 Marsha Blackburn is a shameless lying Trumpbot that has gleefully told the people of TN she’ll rubber stamp anything her Dear Leader wants. I loathe her with the fire of a thousand suns. Phil Bredeson is a moderate. He isn’t perfect but he’s a BILLION times better than noxious fascist Barbie Blackburn. I know it’s distasteful for some far left progressives to support a moderate like Bredeson but I wish I could get those folks to think in terms of opportunity cost. (Hell I’d take Joe Mancin (even though I’m pissed at him at the moment) over ANY Trumplican because at least he’s a solid vote for Obamacare.)
Straight up: Get over the idea a “perfect” DSA member can win the TN Senate Seat. It’s either a Bredeson type or cede the state to Trumpies.
We’re in an emergency situation folks:
Vote Blue no matter who!
I’m proud of Taylor. This woman had her skirt lifted and ass grabbed and fought back and won. I’m sure the Kavanaugh debacle upset her like any other victim. She said enough hopefully to get her masses (hopefully they’re old enough to vote) steered in the right direction.
I’m glad she got there in the end.
I think it has been difficult for her to admit her left leaning views because she knows she would lose some of her audience, and unsure wether she would gain any. But she finally did, maybe this will even inspire some of her younger fans to reconsider the views their parents have been teaching them.
Her dad is a banker too, so I imagine she is going against her family’s political positioning (I only assume he is Republican because most in the banking industry prefer de-regulation).
I mean, I guess if this inspires some votes this is good but having said that –
It would have been nice if she had gotten this woke in the last two years instead of being more concerned about not alienating the redneck part of her fanbase.
I’m sorry, but I can’t shake the feeling that this has more to do with PR for her than it does sudden concern for marginalized groups.
Of course. She’s finally read the room.
No, she doesn’t have to publicly disclose her private beliefs on your timeline. She said what she was comfortable saying, when she was comfortable saying it.
I agree with this. She doesn’t owe us her personal beliefs.
I knew as soon as I read this on Instagram last night that there’d be people here complaining about it this morning. Whatever. Let them complain.
Would it have been nice if she was more transparent earlier? Yes. But she’s also making national headlines today at a time when those supporting women’s rights need a bit of a “win,” so I’ll take it.
ITA.
And the thing is, when celebs DO speak their mind about politics, they’re told to STFU. When they stay silent, people complain that they don’t use their platform to speak out enough.
Even in the wake of this, many of her RW fans are saying she needs to take a seat and all the people who hate Swift are telling her that she should have spoken out sooner.
I also totally agree. She’s a singer, so it’s her job to entertain, not post her private beliefs on things like politics for the world to see and judge her about. If she wants to talk about it, that’s great and could be helpful, but if she doesn’t want to, it’s her own right
This.
Agree 100%.
This time I don’t think it’s about PR, but her feeling the same rage that so many of us are feeling. She still has a HUGE country music loving fanbase, many of which are conservative, I’m sure. This WILL anger a decent part of her fans, and she did it anyway.
She just ended her tour and has no new product coming out, nothing to promote. This is about the Senate and congressional races in her own state and congressional district. She knows the people she’s talking about. This is personal to her. I can’t stand the woman but she deserves credit for this and the timing, three weeks before that Senate vote, is perfect.
+1
What LP said.
Yeah she could have and should have spoken out sooner, BUT this is a really well written statement that manages to be firm and decisive AND reminds everyone to register to vote. Respect over here!
But if she had spoken on this sooner, it would have lost its impact by election day. As I said, this is targeted and about Tennessee. She wants Marsha Blackburn gone.
It is official. I am a Swifty Fan. P.S I am black woman
I’m not a fan of her music, but she did the right thing. I’m white. Doesn’t matter if I’m green. We’re up against a cult. These disciples of his are drinking the kool aid. The most important thing is that we all VOTE.
Taylor Swift’s music is a bit like junk food. I know it’s not that good, but for some reason I kind of like it.
She did something I haven’t seen out of celebrities when they are talking politics. One she went local. Nashville is her hometown, and the people love her there, and she spoke about her state and local races. e i she extolled the importance of voting. Good for her on all accounts, and maybe some young people will get up and vote.
Wonder if 45 will make a comment about Taylor Swift throwing her support behind MB’s opponent? What will happen when MAGA supporters( and 45 too)insult Taylor Swift and then her fans (Swiftters?) roar back to protect their idol?
Get your popcorn ready, this will get interesting….
Doubt it .. trump is like a little kid and responds to critics that use his name. I can’t think of what he can argue with her about here, since she said very mild things which you have to sound evil to be against.
You make a good point. I was thinking more along the line how 45 loves attention and get his base riled up. Also let’s not forget how his number one MAGA supporter Kanye West has a beef with Taylor. With the way Kanye has been acting lately I would not be surprised to see him campaigning for Marsha B.
Lol ok now I’m wondering if TS is just doing this as part of her feud with Kanye and Kim, you know to make herself look better than them
But that’s true that DT does also attack randomly when it could get him headlines.
Her statement was highly targeted. I doubt Kanye even knows who Marsha Blackburn is. This was about Taylor caring about who represents her in Congress. It’s personal. And she clearly can’t abide Marsha Blackburn.
I meant more that this is the moment she suddenly “became political” symbolically anyways. First time she has endorsed someone? And just 1-2 weeks ago Kanye was bigly mocked for a maga rant which even criticized the Democratic Party.
I’m not saying this to criticize her of course, her statement is great. Just a coincidence that I find interesting.
I am not a fan of her but can’t shade this. Good for her.
I’m not a fan of Taylor and I don’t dislike her. Just indifferent, really. With that being said, I think it took a lot of guts for her to post this. From my understanding, she started in country music and let’s be honest: Most country music fans are democrats. At least they are in my family and friends group. In my opinion, she was very brave and honest in this situation and I respect her for that. She hasn’t gained martyr status by any means but this is fantastic. Way to go, Taylor!
You mean they’re republican? Yes good point she may feel attached to those fans’ love and therefore it’s hard to let it go hence she didn’t do it till now. Must be emotionally complicated to have a bunch of strangers really “love” you!
Yes, I meant Republican! I haven’t finished my coffee so my brain isn’t fully functioning yet. lol!
I have historically rolled my eyes at the idea that if Taylor Swift just supported Hillary (or whichever candidate) it would make any kind of difference in any election. I mean, I have my political beliefs and I would never in a million years change them just because some celebrity told me to, even if it was a celebrity I really liked. So how insulting is it to believe that conservative Taylor Swift fans would change their minds just because she said so? That said, I quite liked this post by Swift. I appreciate that she highlighted specific things in Blackburn’s record that she was appalled by and asked people to do the research and make up their own minds instead of telling them to just do what she says, and I like that she is publicizing a particular mid-term race, as opposed to the presidential election. Mid-terms are when it’s hard to get Democrats to turn out, and while I don’t think Swift can change anyone’s mind, I do think that any time a low turnout voter (which, unfortunately, most young people are) is reminded that an important election is happening in a non-presidential year it’s a good thing, and the extra reminder from an unusual source might help them to get to the polls. So good for her!
I don’t know if she’s able to change anyones mind, doubt it, but you forget her core fanbase are likely to be people who are first time voters so we aren’t talking about her changing the minds of people who have been voting republican for decades here.
This election isn’t about changing minds or votes from red to blue. It’s about turning out voters. If Taylor gets young people (4/5 which did NOT vote in the 2016 election) to register and vote, she will have done a tremendous service.
Yes, this is more likely to help with getting people registered than with actually changing minds. Younger people tend to vote blue, but they also tend not to vote. Someone like Taylor telling her hyper dedicated fans that voting IS important? It might actually make a difference. My understanding is that this is a fairly close Senate race so even a small boost in new voter registration and turnout could make a substantial difference.
I’ve seen so many comments calling her a Democrat. Is that how it is in USA? Reveal 1 single vote and you are then aligned with that party as your identifier? This seems odd to me but so do very many things… oh well
Amazing statement Taylor – it’s really enlightening to see. Critics be damned. It will inspire many votes I am sure.
Im hoping her next album has better catchier songs but I am still a fan, even more so today
I think the reason people are calling her a Democrat is because the issues that she is highlighting in her statement – LGBT rights, women’s rights, opposition to systemic racial injustice – are issues that Democrats are generally more concerned with than Republicans are. I think it might be more appropriate to call her liberal based on these beliefs, but liberal and Democrat are synonymous in a lot of people’s minds. If she has been casting her vote based upon these issues, then she has probably voted for Democrats way more than once.
She has really disturbed her conservative following. I saw this on Twitter
“ Guess Taylor Swift forgot that it is the Conservative Mom’s are the ones that pay for the tickets and music for our daughters. Liberals don’t listen to her music. So disappointed in her.“
if she can get some of her Tennessee fan base who are 18 years old out to vote . Good for her.”
I think it’s hilarious that people hadn’t figured out that she was probably not conservative based on her friends alone. and I don’t know any conservative Taylor Swift fans.
This might shed a little light on the Kaylor break-up…
KK has been sucked into the sh-t storm of her fiancé’s family and its entanglement with the president… and TS doesn’t want to be anywhere near that.
Lol I think she’s really underestimating Taylor’s liberal fans. I know people that are a variety of ages that are all liberal and go to her shows, including moms taking kids.
Plus, Taylor confirming she’s a Dem is only going to get her more support imo. Hell, people might throw their support behind her to spite Kanye and his stupidity lol
People who are upset she didn’t “come out” earlier are ridiculous. The week before early voting/ registration ending is perfect timing. URGENCY is what gets people to action. If she’d come out last February, it would have been forgotten by now.
I’ve said it before, if Taylor speaks out on issues, she’ll be dragged: “white girl needs to stay in her lane.” If she doesn’t, she’s dragged: “she needs to tell everyone she’s not a Nazi.” Um, she’s told us, by her actions, by her specifically sharing the stage with diverse artists, by her public donations that she’s not a Nazi and that she’s pro-women’s issues. She needs to keep doing what she’s doing. She’s making an impact, on her terms.
As someone said, I’m glad she got there in the end. I think she probably had to overcome her management team telling her the sky would fall (she’d lose fans and their money) if she expressed any sort of political opinion too explicitly. Her dad is the driving force behind her money-making endeavors and he is a staunch Republican and pro-Trump. I have a feeling her mom is as conservative as her father but not as open about it. As close as she is to her parents, and as much as she relies on them for business advice, it can’t have been easy for her to take a public stand in opposition to their beliefs – especially if they were telling her it would be bad for the bottom line.
I hope she has inspired her younger fans to engage and take control of their future. Their generation could overwhelm any other voting block – if they all voted.
Dara- where do you get the information about her father from? I haven’t seen that and would be a bit surprised given Todrick Hall’s statements about her family- which would include her parents?
I followed a few of her fans on Tumblr during the summer of ’16, and saw screenprints of her dad’s FB page, very definitely Republican and IIRC pro-Trump. Austin attended Notre Dame, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church and has a very high percentage of Catholic students, who lean conservative as a group. Both her parents worked in finance, which also tends to lean conservative as a group. Ditto for being in a high-income tax bracket. Short of them taking a family photo sporting MAGA hats, all signs point to them being socially conservative, and Republican.
Hmm, @Dara, other than the screenshots of FB page doesn’t really seem to point to trump? Most of the kids I went to school with are rich as hell, work in finance, etc, and all liberal. That feels a bit like saying Brett Kavanaugh must be a liberal because he went to Yale.
Good for her!
It was a well written, well reasoned, scathing takedown of the evil Marsha Blackburn and it has conservative twitter freaked out. Well done. Still can’t stand her but well done
Yay! So pleased about this.
Coincidently, after Kanye lost his sh*t on SNL, I wondered if Swifty was going to feel compelled to speak up, lol.
Everyone is asking “why now?” Maybe she’s just looking to dunk on Kanye lol
I didn’t think about this but it would be amazing if even partly true.
I knew she was a dem. She doesn’t owe anybody shit. I’m glad she did this for the midterms when it won’t get lost in a slew of Presidential endorsements as it would in 2020. She may make a difference, who knows. But she didn’t owe anybody this. Don’t forget you all took Magats’ side. Magat and his wife.
Excuse you? Who is “you all”? I have never cast a vote for a GOPer in my twenty years of voting and I never will.
I think she means Kanye and the kardashians.
Yes, I do Em.
I’m honestly not impressed with this and I won’t praise her for doing the bare minimum. She’s a day late and a dollar short in my opinion and I’m highly skeptical of her motives.
Oh really? Right before the midterms is bad timing?
Taylor does not owe anybody anything. Celebs do not have to be politically outspoken. If they choose to be then that is their right.
This is her stance and in her evolution as an adult. You do you.
I didn’t say she owed me or anyone else anything, I said I’m unimpressed with her and no amount of trolling from you will change that so move along.
How in the world is Jenni’s comment trolling?
Not trolling, but don’t understand what you mean by her motives. Her album has been out for a long while and her tour is now done. Plus the statement is perfectly timed to register if you hadn’t in Tennessee, and not too early people might not remember it before the election.
What I find interesting is how many people comment on this. She’s a citizen and has a right to her opinion and to express it. Sure you don’t have to like it or believe it, but she sure does get people talking. Very interesting.
Imagine being so evil that you made Taylor Swift take a political side in public.
I am so tired of this attitude. No one is ever pure enough. If dems want to win in 2020 they need to pull together. Hillary didn’t win for a multiple of reasons, Russian bots, voter suppression, FBI etc but if we can’t even make peace in the party, if we are gonna have these constant purity tests whoever wins the primary will suffer the same destiny as Hillary.
See how republicans embraced Kanye even though he used to be on the other side? See how they get everyone in line to back trump, even his vocal critics like flake and Collins? That’s why they are in power.
? I don’t know how this response is relevant to what I said. I was being entirely sincere. The situation is that dire. Nobody can ethically afford to stay in the middle anymore, even those who could easily afford otherwise.
I am not surprised you are confused. 😂 I posted my reply in the wrong place. Apologies.
lol, no problem. We all do it.
Wow! I’m impressed.
@ Veronica s. Nailed it.
Will never understand why anyone thought she might have been anti gay, racist or against women’s rights but OK.
It was a good post. Hopefully it will help. Also, I think all of us have had to “grow up” a bit these last few years. I know I am more informed and vocal about what I believe in. I still don’t believe celebrities should have to publicly state their political alignments and I was never comfortable with the narrative that was assigned to her because she was never public.
That said, I’m glad she spoke out and it is amusing to see those detractors reactions.
“She’s…. Not for Trump??? :0 “
I am thrilled , if you do not think she holds sway over her 150 million Swiftees you have not been paying attention. The statement is well said and clearly states she votes in the issues not the party. As she has said in her massively susscess recent stadium tour she has claimed her finally right to be who she is and I am sure this is just the beginning. As for the the backlash I am sure she will just shake it off!
The kaylor shippers must be confused that she is totally free to be herself now yet somehow not married to Karlie Kloss lol
#IFeelAttacked #Kaylor
Just hoping enough of these 150 million Swifties are old enough to vote now.
Good for her. She has a lot of influence over young people, and this election is too important to stay silent about. She was incredibly eloquent in her statement. I wish she’d said something sooner, but better late than never. Well done, Taylor.
Why do we need, or think we have the right to know the political views of celebs? Half the time they get slagged off for saying something, the other half they get slagged off for saying nothing.
I’m a black woman and I never attributed Taylor’s silence to her being onboard with white supremacy or Trump. Of course, this is just one black woman’s opinion. Lol. Glad she is speaking up and on her own terms. No one should be forced to do anything ( i.e. speak up politically, come out of the closet, etc.) until they are ready. We all get to decide what we want to say, how we are going to say it and if we are prepared for potential repercussions. After last weekend, I decided that I am ready to protest even if it means possible arrest. That was where my line was always drawn. Now, I’m ready to walk across it.
Well said. I think there must be a cultural difference in this respect between the US and the UK. Here in the UK “celebs” tend to come in for a lot of criticism for airing their political views. And personally I don’t see why any of them should be expected to come out politically, it is not part of their job.
Well, well, well. Look who has FINALLY arrived to the party. About a day late and a dollar short but hey at least she showes up. As much as I bash Tay at least she FINALLY decided to speak up. My one gripe: it took a rapist being appointed to SCOTUS for her to do so.
I don’t think anyone accused him of actual rape.
He was identified by Swetnick as somebody she saw take part in gang rapes at parties.
Ummm yes he was. Julie Swetnick accused him of raping her.
No. Swetnick said she could not specifically say he was one of the people who assaulted her, but that he was at the party that night. She said she saw him pawing at women and trying to shift their clothes, but she never said that he raped her or that she witnessed him rape anyone else. The closest she came to saying that was that she had seen him standing outside rooms where men were “running a train” on drunk women.
Republicans like Lindsey Graham jumped on the gang rape part and twisted it to make it sound like she was accusing Brett of that because they knew people would be less likely to believe a charge like that than what he was actually being accused of, which was still sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
In fairness Swetnick did not say that exactly. She said she didn’t know, but he was at the parties and so was she. She said she was gang raped at one of those parties and he may have been one of the guys. She did not know.
Now I have heard of these kind of rapes before, as I think it was a thing in the mid to late 80’s. I distinctly remember being told about the “train” at the athletic dorm of my college, and if girls didn’t want to be part of the “train” don’t go there after it’s dark. You got to love the 80’s as it was all about girls avoid this instead of boys stop doing this. I guess it still is, but at least we discuss it differently.
@Veronica S. Julie Swetnick accused him of raping HER.
And then she backtracked on it in an NBC interview that was one car short of a trainwreck. She gave them four witnesses: 2 never responded, 1 was dead, and the last had never heard of her. The Dems barely mentioned her.
She was sponsored by Avenatti for pity’s sake. If anyone torpedoed Ford’s case it was that idiot.
She didn’t backtrack. She never claimed that Kavanaugh was one of the people who gang raped. As BB said, it was Republicans who twisted her words to make it seem like she was accusing him of rape. So when she told her story, they could say “See, she can’t even keep her story straight. She’ s a liar.”
I expected this from the Republicans, but was disappointed to see all the Dems who jumped on the bandwagon and blamed Avenatti and Swetnick for Kavanaugh being confirmed.
The Republicans were ALWAYS going to confirm him, because all they care about is money and power.
I’m no fan of Avenatt, but he did not sink Ford’s case
Good for her. Good for everyone. This makes me happy.
If y’all want a good laugh to start the week you should see the swifties fighting MAGA twitter. They’re dragging the Trump supporters who attack Taylor and its super funny
@Saks Oohh I’d love to see that! Finally something to look forward to haha 🙂
Aside: I checked out some MAGA’s twitters with large followers and 4chan threads and their reaction to her post was much tamer than I expected. Mostly denial (she finally caved to liberal Hollywood pressure!) or disappointment. Most of her conservative fans aren’t talking about burning her CDs and they haven’t fully turned in their Taylor stan cards. The anger isn’t there.
It seems like the strong bond Taylor’s conservative portion of the fanbase has to her might even influence some of their opinions down the road. Not just undecided young people, but decidedly conservative, Trump stans who still identify with Taylor in spite of her political stance.
As a blonde-haired, blue eyed woman who dresses conservatively, talked about her Christian values in the past, and has openly Republican parents, she has a certain leverage over this base that other artists in different positions don’t. The MAGA Swift fans still seem to see themselves in her.
Its definitely interesting because the angry ones are the parents, while, as you said, the younger people seem to range from denial to actually giving this a thought. Thats why I like her post so much, she is actually explaining her reasoning and not just going “vote or don’t vote for this”. I hope this get at least some of them to vote
@Saks Same! I’m so glad she did this, and so happy that she clearly stated her values for her fans to see while sharing her reasoning for her decision like you said. Even though she announced her political stance later than other celebrities did (some of whom who had more to lose) I still welcome it because very few celebrities have the type of influence over the MAGA base that Taylor seems to have. She’s an ally that can sway people, and we need as many as we can get. Fingers crossed that this helps in TN’s upcoming elections.
Charlie Kirk is going to regret this.
@Lightpurple Hahhahahaah thanks to your recommendation I just watched Charlie Kirk’s new Fox clip. That was sweet. Btw also wanted to say that I’ve seen your comments on CB in the past and you’ve been spot on in so many of them.
Check also Mike Huckabee’s acc swifties are having a field day over there lol
@Saks Thank you! I needed to see Huckabee attempt to come for Taylor and end up drowning in an ocean of Swifties. This day has started out on such a bright note.
Any ambivalence I feel about Swift and her fans is negated by how tickled I am at the prospect of the entire TS fandom utterly obliterating anyone that dares to mock her, or them. Anyone who is stupid enough to try doesn’t have a hope in hell, and I will thoroughly enjoy every minute of it.
Definetly no fan of her music but credit were credit is due. She has a huge conservative fan base. I don’t care if it’s late we need all hands on deck.
One good deed can’t erase all bad ones, but this is one super good deed Taylor Swift.
I’m really hopeful that the current Republican strategy of pissing off lots of women right before critical midterms bites then in their collective ass. Taylor speaking up could really help with this if she can get young fans to go vote. Good for her.
Yyyyyyeah I’m still cynical. NOW you’re going to speak up? When you’re so secure in your wealth and success and legacy that alienating your conservative base doesn’t scare anymore?
Too late. I will sit and watch, and I’m gonna need to hear her statements and rallying cries over and over again, in conjunction with her famed donations to charities. People keep saying ‘deeds over words’ but words matter. Social species and all. Language’s an unbelievably powerful tool. And when you’ve got such a platform to speak out from, it’s a moral failure to not use it to do good by the world. Comes with the territory, girl.
Still, it wasn’t the worst first step to take. As long as those steps keep coming thundering and bold. And yeah, I don’t apply this ‘when you’re ready’ to powerful, wealthy people. You don’t get to have wealth and power and get away with sitting quietly on your ass while others suffer and clamour, yet when even a million of mine and your voices together won’t have the same impact her one voice could.
Speak louder, Tay, and do it often.
I really don’t get some of you. She took her time to learn, process and reflect. She didn’t joined a HT just to fit in.
And while she might be openly talking about for the first time, she has never hide where she is in the political spectrum, people just chose to ignore it. There’re pics of her in a fund dinner for Hillary, yet people still called her a Trump supporter. She supports BLM yet when she posted about it people bullied her for days saying she was being fake. She supports and donates for LGBT organizations but somehow people still called her homophobic. She was a victim of assault who took her assaulter to court and won but people still made fun of her. She has been open about supporting gun control, she has acknowledge her privileges many times…
Now, she is open about it and people are still trying to find a way to diminish it
Oh please. Her showing quiet support doesn’t make it to the masses. Public bold statements like the one she recently issued does.
Quietly supporting liberal causes while allowing right wing extremists to appropriate her image, what a great moral compass! Why not loudly denounce the KKK? Let’s not forget her weird sending flowers to dead cops giving off Blue Lives Matter messages. But now she’s about Black Lives Matter. Mixed signals does not work in getting the message across. Bold statements do.
Guess what? Trump donated to democrats too, did you know that? Donations mean nothing.
It’s not up to others to “get it” with hints and clues. Her “efforts” imo failed up until now when she finally actually spoke out.
I know that the popular narrative is that she did nothing about white supremacists using her in their memes, but she did send them cease and desist letters. I think her strategy for dealing with crazy rumors about her, like ‘Taylor is pregnant’ and ‘Taylor is dating so-and-so’ is to just not dignify them with a response, which makes sense because it’s not like she has infinite time and energy to spend on every crazy rumor. I think she applied the same strategy to ‘Taylor Swift is a white supremacist,’ thinking it was about as crazy as ‘Taylor Swift is pregnant,’ and figured the C&D letters would quietly do the job. I do think that this was a miscalculation on her part, and it would have been better to make a statement distancing herself since this rumor was considerably more virulent than the usual crap, but I don’t think it was a horrible moral failing either. YMMV I guess. I also think sending flowers to the family of a killed police officer is a nice thing to do, and not an affront to BLM. My understanding is BLM have been pretty emphatic about not hoping for or being happy about police officers getting killed in the line of duty. I think some people are going to be mad at her no matter what she does. I had no idea that she gave money to Democratic fundraising, but that sounds to me like a far more significant action than an IG post (although I think the IG post was good too). But you can’t please everyone, clearly.
@jammypants you want her to be a bad person so bad. Yes, I knew about Trump being a former democrat, so? Under your logic, public statements would also mean nothing as anyone can switch at any given moment.
You’re blaming a woman for something weird men did on awful internet forums with her image. Also “blue lives matter messages” literally where? she sent flowers to a cop injured during a terrorist attack just like she does numerous times with other people, she does that all the time. And her “quiet support” is way more useful than some others joining a cause for clout, like her court case setting a precedent which can be useful in future cases.
She is not perfect, not at all, but she has actually educated herself in many issues, she’s part of the 47% and she simply isn’t the monster that people painted her to be.
I think bc she’s waking up to the fact that staying silent just can’t be a thing anymore, what may have worked in the past doesn’t hold true anymore. Unlike other people who constantly say she’s old (seriously she’s not!) she has plenty room to listen, to grow, and to learn. Most millennials are still forming identity and/or are finally coming to find their core beliefs. I’m millennial too just a few years older.
I did think on this and the moment a public figure chooses to draw the line, it’s that moment that will be remembered not anything before or after. People say actions speak louder than words. They don’t, not silent ones. Sometimes words speak louder to impel action in others.
I think it’s about time she alienated those with bigotry in a clear, defined way. Because they should not be given room to grow loud enough to oppress others. Ever.
Some may think her declaring to side with human beings won’t change anything. I still am figuring that out. And it may not. But what it does do is point fingers at evil, calling it for what it is, and that it should never be accepted.
In a very ironic twist of things (life is stupidly contradictory isn’t it?), Susan Collins words are empty AF and her actions spoke louder.
Ps, no idea if she donated to Democrats. I used the Trump example to show sometimes putting your money where your mouth should be doesn’t say that much, not anymore. Both have to align. They should always align.
@Saks, actually I think you want me to want her to be a bad person so you can defend her while attacking me lol. She’s very good at victimhood. Gets her defenders like yourself coming out in droves. I don’t think anyone is evil or bad outside of Trump and the loudest in the GOP.
@jammypants getting the record straight about all the false things people have said about her for years is somehow reprehensible? mmm… ok then
@jammypants, I think you make a good point about her perpetual victimhood. Maybe it’s not for this thread, but I would love to expand on it. I have few feelings about her either way: she’s got a couple of bops, but her music mostly isn’t for me, but as a person, she seems smart and funny. It is her ability to create a narrative of victimization and wield that status like a cudgel that is still profoundly troubling to me. Is it a good thing for when she has actually been victimized (harassment/groping by that awful DJ)? *Absolutely.* Is it a terrible, and potentially racialized, thing when she accuses a black, male musician (Kanye, even though he’s still an f’ing idiot!) of referencing her in a song in a way that she had not agreed to, but actually she had as proven by said male musician’s fame-mongering, yet seemingly incredibly loyal wife? Also, *ab-so-lute-ly.*
It’s interesting to me that people are behaving like this criticism of her is now out of order based on this statement. I think it’s complicated, and a little scary, too.
@jammypants
She sent flowers to an officer shot in the Vegas shooting.
Are you actually going to hold that against her? Really?
She could have and should have spoken out during the last election, but waiting for 30 days before the midterms isn’t the worst strategy. There wasn’t any equivocating or bsing in her statement, not even any narcissism, just the facts.
I mean, the timing is good actually. NOW is the time to get ready to vote. It’s a good time for her to step out with her thoughts for an upcoming election. I don’t have any shade for her.
Plus she just finished her tour, there’s a lot of anger (rightfully) going around our country this very week… it makes sense.
The Evil Empire controls everything in America now because their minions vote in lockstep. They don’t care if their candidate is a saint or a rapist or a murderer.
We, the liberals, progressives, Dems, whatever you want to call it, quibble over purity tests-you didn’t speak up soon enough or you didn’t speak forcefully enough or you don’t agree 100% with everything I believe. It’s time to quit that sh1t and act like Rethugs-get behind our candidates, no matter their place on the purity scale, and take back our country.
*claps* I couldn’t agree more. All these hand-wringing dems need to stop and put on some boxing gloves and get with the program. This is NOT how the game is played anymore, because these new breed of RepubliTrumps are dirty street fighters.
I am tired of dems bad mouthing someone like Michael Avenatti, because he’s too crass or loud or whatever pearl-clutching euphemism they use. No one knew about this man 7 months ago–and now we all do. Why? Because he knows how to use the Media correctly in today’s age. He doesn’t cry when the mean old repubs strike out at him, he gets in their face and corrects the lies and DOESN’T APOLOGIZE for not being nice. I’m sorry, but the time for “being nice” is over. Not only that HE GETS RESULTS. Because of his lawsuit, because he defended his client vigorously–who ended up pleading guilty to EIGHT counts? Michael Cohen. AND, Cohen is working with the FEDS and the STATE and is STILL GOING TO JAIL. He’s also managed to re-unite several dozen children with their parents who otherwise would STILL be stuck in cages. Would that have happened if Avenatti was “polite and nice?” NO!
I am sick to death of these namby-pamby dems always calling for civility, and then getting their teeth kicked to the back of their throat while they choke out, “Thank you, sir, can I have another?!” I don’t care that Avenatti has no political experience, he came out like a mother-effing hurricane and has has both sides crying. He is getting asked to speak non-stop at democratic functions all over this country and helping to raise crazy money for the party.
In fact, that nasty, cretin Bannon said on Real Time with B. Maher, that he thinks Avenatti is fearless and knows how to bring the fight, and says that he thinks he’s the only one who has a real chance to take Trump down. Because why? He’s a bulldog with huge balls who loves to fight back. Like it or not, we need to embrace these kinds of fighters.
Totally agree with both of you!
On the upside, Charlie Kirk’s rage tweets this morning have given me life.
And his appearance on Fox and Friends. How dare Taylor think for herself without Charlie’s approval. She’s been known to sue people for less than the stuff he has spewed over the last 24 hours.
He’s actually acting like a spurned would-be boyfriend whose perfect Aryan princess has slipped off her pedestal.
Charlie Kirk is today’s shining example of toxic white dude masculinity. So fragile. So entitled.
I live in Nashville. Taylor making this statement is a very big deal. Jim Cooper is a great guy, and Bredesen was a popular Governor who has a decent chance at beating Blackburn. I’m a gay Dem who first voted for Jimmy Carter–an evangelical at the time. Whether someone holds your exact view or not, if they hold many other values you share, then vote for them! Trust the process. It took years of collaboration and education to shift views enough so that now I am legally married. It’s ok. The Dem tent is a big, lively, diverse tent. I like it that way. Cooper and Bredesen each have my vote. And Taylor has my thanks for getting involved!
Been reading these comments with amusement because suddenly everyone is, “I knew she was…” when really there was evidence to the contrary.
She went after a BLOGGER for saying she’s complicit with Nazis, but never went after actual Nazis who were co-opting her image as their queen.
This is peak white feminism. It only matters when it affects me.
But sure, we can give her a cookie.
Nkt a fant but if you think about it If her goal was to remain apolitical so why would she not go after someone who tried to use her for their political gain. I mean she pretty much says she wanted to stay out of politics so it’s not as if she doesn’t owm up to it,
I think the people who said they knew she was left are her hardcore fans because apparently she’d said she was excited to vote for Obama.
I never payed much attention beyond people calling her out for not taking a stand during 2016 election. Anyway it’s a waste of time to keep dragging her for the past, let’s move forward, we need all hands on deck.
“This is peak white feminism. It only matters when it affects me.”
Yes, two snaps in a circle, yes. I mentioned up-thread that I’m a little disturbed by the wave of “WE TOLD YOU SHE WAS GREAT!” when a lot of her behavior (especially her behavior surrounding the Nazi stuff and the Kanye stuff) was neither wholesome nor appropriate. If she wants to come out with more statements about understanding her wealth-and-white privilege, maybe while dropping some gems about intersectionality, I’m down to hear what she has to say. And it’s not a purity test: I’m not voting for her, and I think it’s nice that she made the statement that she made. But I’m also not particularly concerned about her as an individual; I’m *greatly* concerned about her cultural impact.
I like Swift’s statement and hope like heck that it makes a difference in the TN elections next month. I’m not a country music fan but I get the impression that many country music stars who are Democrats don’t like to say so in public, so as not to alienate their fanbase. But I always thought, If left-leaning country music stars would get political, they could actually move the needle, because their fandom overlaps so much with red state voting. They have people’s ears, their words would be heard. I actually think it’s far more important for country music stars to say something about politics these days than just about anyone else!! So I hope Swift’s move inspires others.
So white women are happy with this, don’t consider it some Johnny come lately bare minimum but it’s not escaped this black woman’s notice that Swifty didn’t have anything to say about being Aryan Princess Barbie, didn’t come out for BLM, kept silent on anthem protests, but has opened her mouth now that a white woman is in the national spotlight for being sexually assaulted.
Taylor Swift stays on brand. A few throwaway lines towards LGBT and POC but above all upholding white innocence.
Miss me
And to whomever mentioned “picking the wrong side” in Kanye vs Taylor Swift, she doesn’t get a pass on playing out that little game of “black men are scary” just because Kanye is unhinged.
Stay klassy, white feminism.
I believe that tweet was written by a black woman (@KashanaCauley).
Yep that was written by a black woman and there were tons of black and brown people that applauded her on twitter. Black twitter cancelled kanye a long time ago.
WORD.
I didn’t realize we had a spokesperson. I’ll be sure to run all future opinions past the black delegation before forming an opinion…
Just to be clear, I don’t doubt her motives or think she’s got some grand plan or waited until she was comfortable financially or her for was over or any other reason other than Kavanaugh was the straw.
Good for her for finally feeling like she needed to speak out and for doing so with a decent statement that neatly filled in all the blanks.
I just think that like most white women she didn’t think much about any of this until she found an aspect she relate to.
It’s 2018. Points are no longer awarded for meeting the minimum standard for non bigoted viewpoints.
I hope this helps sway TN people because I can’t imagine another set of years under tyranny.
Also, she gets no brownie points. It’s too late now. The “end game” now is in the GOP bag. Not saying she has that much power, but her speaking up won’t change anything but people’s opinion of her.
Even Katy Perry liked her insta post 😂
She’s officially ok with me now.
I’m harsh on her, but I feel the same lol
Better late than never. It was a wonderfuly worded statement and it made me cry…but geez everything is making me cry these days 😞
She was bullied into it. Sad.
Lol. By whom?
People like those here. Why does she HAVE to have an opinion?
My first thought was, ‘Wow, are tickets sales and press not good for this tour’.
That thought has not changed.
Reputation tour was the the bestselling us tour for a female artist ever, so no. You’re wrong.
Go Taylor! I’m glad she addressed the political climate directly at this time because it’s much more impactful now- drawing attention to the fact that tomorrow is the last day to register to vote in TN was a wise move. This gives her millions of fans something that they can take concrete action on immediately and at a very important time nonetheless- registering to vote and actually following through. Making that kind of statement right after Trump got elected would have been forgotten 2 years later. As a woman who has been very involved in politics long before Trump happened, I’m glad to have as many people get involved as possible and use their voices for good, no matter how late to the party they are. I hope she keeps it up!
Her timing is perfect
Close enough out from the elections to spur her base to register and to vote
But not too far the impact gets lost and forgotten
Anything that gets the 18-25 group to vote is excellent.
I agree her timing is perfect for multiple reasons: 1) end of her domestic tour — so she doesn’t have to worry about protestors or violence (the deplorable) at her concerts; 2) close to the mid-terms but enough time for people to get educated and still registered (although that clock is ticking); and 3) tonight she is opening the AMA’s with “I Did Something Bad,” which could definitely be interpreted as giving the finger to her conservative critics. For those not familiar with the song, it includes the lyrics “They say I did something bad, why did it feel so good?” and “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one — they got their pitchforks and proof — their receipts and reason…So Light Me Up …. Go Ahead and Light Me Up!” It has the potential to make a huge political statement if she chooses to stage it that way. Should be interesting. In any case, I’m proud of her!
This is the most intelligent thing I’ve ever heard her say. And isn’t it ironic that she comes out with this now, as Kanye is spiraling out of control with his racist comments and support of Trump? Hmm.
White supremacy and racism she can tolerate, but misogyny is apparently a step to far. She’s such a cliche.
@Kike74: Did you even read her comments. She clearly stated that she’s appalled by the racism as well.
Good for her. Marsha is running ads that clearly show she’s an Emperor Zero water carrier. Bredesen was a good governor, and seems far more reasonable. It shouldn’t even be a close race, but Zero popped into the state last week to help her out and now the polls show a near tie.
She’s late to the party, but I can’t even be anything but happy she’s here now. We need all hands on deck.
voter registration in Tennessee has gone up by 2,144 in the last 36 hours.
WONDERFUL!! 🙂
To all the people saying she should have said something earlier – do you all think that Taylor Swift would have made a huge difference in Trump getting elected two years ago? Seems she is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.