Antagonizing the Swifties

What can I say about Taylor Swift? She’s from Tennessee. She’s roughly 6 months my senior. She’s an incredibly talented singer, even if her stuff isn’t for me. But above everything, she has real sway with Americans, which is why it’s strange that she’s being criticized by some people for inane reasons.

Let me give you some context:

It was recently revealed that Taylor Swift’s being criticized by Donald Trump supporters. The fact that Trump still has supporters would be a punchline on its own if it weren’t scary, but the criticism Swift’s received feels pre-emptive and presumptuous. While Swift endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, giving him a leg up in the general elections, she’s yet to endorse anyone for 2024. So why push her over that?

The obvious answer is fear. The GOP’s massively-unpopular, and it’s costing them votes. This was especially true during the 2022 midterms, where every Trump-endorsed candidate, save JD Vance, lost their race by a big margin. What’s more embarrassing is that most Democratic votes came from swing voters, independents and moderate Republicans fed up with Trump’s stranglehold over The GOP. It’s pretty clear that the party Abraham Lincoln once spearheaded is dying because of Trump, yet they can’t let him go.

So yes, fear’s a major factor in the uptick of criticism. After all, if Swift helped Biden in 2020, there’s a chance she might do the same now. It’s not like Biden has major competition in his own party, and he’s likely to win renomination at The DNC. Additionally, since The US is largely a two-party system (for better or worse), it’s not like Americans have many options outside of third-party candidates that barely make inroads. Swift’s also openly expressed disdain for Trump in the past, something we have video of. So she might not have said anything yet, but people are waiting for the shoe to drop. This includes Trump allies.

While attacking Swift feels premature, I also don’t think it’s wise. I’m not her biggest fan. But while her music isn’t for me, I recognize her immense power. More specifically, I recognize her immense power via her fans, or “Swifties”. Swifties crashed Ticketmaster when she went on tour, enough that Congress had to intervene. Swift also once helped her Democratic representative in Tennessee by encouraging Swifties to vote, enough that Tennessee’s registration site had trouble accommodating the influx. Taylor Swift’s that powerful.

By picking a fight with Swift, Republicans are risking everything. All she has to do is publish a statement on Instagram telling people to vote for Democratic frontrunners, and bam! The gig’s up. I get that the criticism of Swift’s rooted in fear, but I don’t think it’s warranted. If anything, it’s wiser for Republicans to keep their mouths shut. They know they’re in the red (pardon the pun), they should cut their losses.

It's especially bad because Swifties are something else. Remember those examples I mentioned? They aren’t the only ones. Swifties have also impacted the American economy, and they’ve boosted the ratings of The NFL by sheer fact that Swift’s currently dating a football player. Swift might be powerful, but Swifties are the real foot soldiers!

I don’t think Taylor Swift’s immune from criticism. I’d have loved for her to say something about the October 7th attacks in Israel, or at least advocate for the hostages. It’s the bare minimum given her politics, especially for her Jewish fans. She hasn’t done that. Then again, it’s not an issue I have exclusively with her…

Outside that, criticizing her for inane reasons is asking for trouble. It’s one issue to say she hasn’t done enough for her Jewish fans, or that I’m not big on her music. Claiming she’s a “has-been”, or that she’s “lame”, or whatever her Republican critics have been saying, is another problem altogether. I might be critical of her past decisions or rhetoric, but I generally steer clear of bashing her directly! And I’m pretty gutsy as is, given some of what I’ve written on The Whitly-Verse before!

It’d be easy to feel bad for Taylor Swift’s critics in Trump’s camp, but I’d rather wish them well in failure. Trump was a disaster for not only The US, but the world stage. His presidency not only paved the way for Roe V Wade’s overturning, making reproductive care for American women a lot harder, he spearheaded a resurgence in right-wing extremism globally. It’s the latter that we’re still reeling from. So yes, rest in piss.

A part of me can’t help feeling like this was a battle doomed to fail. Remember, The GOP’s been struggling for years. They’ve especially struggled under and post-Trump. Criticizing Taylor Swift’s merely the cherry on top, and it could’ve been avoided had they shown tact. Then again, when have Trump supporters and allies been known for that?

Ultimately, this is yet another embarrassing moment for Trump in a string of them. It’s not like Joe Biden doesn’t have stuff worth being critical of, some fatal to his presidency. Ignoring his blunders as a senator, Biden’s been an underwhelming president so far, and it’s hard mustering enthusiasm long-term given his age. But when his opposition’s piling on Taylor Swift, and for unjust reasons, then what does that say? After all, if you prod the bear…