What is Biden's 'Taylor Swift Plan' - and should Republicans be worried?

This week, The New York Times, reported that a big part of Biden's presidential campaign is to get an endorsement from one person in particular: Taylor Swift.

In an election that's likely to give the world déjà vu, it appears President Biden will be up against Donald Trump again. And with Biden's approval rating almost at its lowest since he took office, his team are doing everything they can to make sure he gets a second term.

A single Instagram post of Swift's last year resulted in 35,000 new voter registrations, so it's no surprise they want the pop sensation on their side.

California Governor Gavin Newsom made public appeals for Swift to promote the Democrats when speaking to reporters in December.

"Taylor Swift stands tall and unique,” he said. “What she was able to accomplish just in getting young people activated to consider that they have a voice and that they should have a choice in the next election, I think, is profoundly powerful.”

When news of this strategy reached Fox News, they started scrambling, with Charly Arnolt begging Swift fans to not vote for Biden, after she cites a poll saying "one fifth of Taylor Swift fans said they would back whatever candidate she endorsed."

In fact, it scared them so much, they feigned concern over climate change: "yesterday, she flew private from New York City to Baltimore. Yet she constantly talks about climate change."

Arnolt concludes her message saying: "Please don’t believe everything Taylor Swift says. We’re all begging you.”

Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the Republican race for presidential nominee, went so far as to suggest the NFL will rig the Super Bowl to increase publicity for Taylor Swift and her partner Travis Kelce.

"I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month. And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall," he posted on Twitter/X.

So it seems both Republicans and Democrats are anxious about the plan. But how effective will it be?

A Morning Consult survey found that 45 per cent of Swifties are millennials - between the ages of 27 and 42 - whilst only 21 percent are members of Gen Z - categorised as those under 26.

So, unlike Arnolt's claim that most of Swift's fans can't vote, it seems Biden's Taylor Swift strategy does have the potential to make an impact on how people go out to vote in November.

However, from Morning Consult's survey, 55 per cent of Swifties are Democrats, compared to 23 per cent who identify as Republican. Meaning there's the likelihood a majority of Swift's fanbase were already planning on voting for Biden, making her endorsement less effective.

Prior to 2018, Swift had largely stayed out of polices, until endorsing former Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in the Senate race against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn. Then again in 2020, she endorsed Biden and Harris.

It's unknown whether Swift will endorse Biden again, but having the biggest star in the world on your side will surely ease anxieties in the Biden camp.

Sign upto our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel