President Joe Biden’s team is turning to Taylor Swift for help. Given the clear ability of pop star Taylor Swift and her NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce, to attract attention, it's not surprising that they have also sparked their own conspiracy theory without even trying.
There have been long-standing conspiracy theories about the NFL and the “deep state” and other extreme beliefs. A photo posted on the Twitter account @NFL_Memes claimed a link between the colors of the Super Bowl logo and the teams playing in the game. Right-wing conspiracy theorists quickly suggested that Swift's connection with Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs is part of a plot to rally support for Biden in the 2024 election.
Given the unimpressive state of Biden’s campaign, the president needs all the support he can get. Swift's success with her record-breaking Eras Tour has been so significant that it's not surprising to see the Biden campaign hoping to share some of the success and good fortune.
Biden benefitted from Swift’s endorsement in 2020. A single Instagram post from her last year resulted in 35,000 new voter registrations. Even though older football figures criticize the couple’s star power as a major distraction, the NFL is likely pleased with the attention, merchandise sales, and other revenue that the couple has brought to the sport.
Just as John F. Kennedy brought excitement to the White House with Frank Sinatra and his “Rat Pack” of friends and started a tradition of Hollywood mingling with presidents, today's campaigns seek out their own celebrities and welcome those who join in. Because it's struggling to hold onto key voter groups such as young liberals and people of color, the Biden campaign has started talking to celebrities and social media stars about promoting Biden on Instagram and TikTok.
Traditional politicians made good use of TV ads. In line with modern sensibilities, Biden’s campaign has enlisted “influencers” with a following on Instagram and TikTok — which I need to understand one of these days.
According to insiders, Biden’s plan leans towards direct attacks on Trump and a strong focus on abortion rights — an issue that can be easily contrasted with sound bites of Trump boasting about appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. The Democratic success in restoring abortion rights in conservative states that have put the issue to a vote rightly encourages the Biden campaign, but it’s probably not enough on its own to defeat Trump.
Biden’s campaign apparently believes that the more the public sees and hears Trump boasting about wanting to be “a dictator on day one,” the more voters will be brought to their side on issues like abortion and health care. It won’t be easy to reverse this. Trump seems to thrive on criminal indictments more than anyone else.
But it’s still early in the campaign calendar and there’s still hope, according to longtime supporters. One who knows how that works is Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and important Biden supporter, who was credited with Biden’s crucial turnaround in 2020. He told The New York Times that Democrats needed to make a strong case and remind voters of real changes to their lives — like setting a limit on insulin costs, providing funds for roads and bridges, and other important promises Biden kept.
But those “promises kept” have not mattered enough to younger and more progressive voters who have not given the administration much credit for its achievements — or hold, in many cases, resentment toward Team Biden’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas. Complicated issues like that are not easily debated in the midst of a presidential campaign, but campaigns are, after all, a nation’s sometimes awkward debate over issues determining its future.
Politics often seem like a game, but now it’s time to get serious.
Twitter @cptime
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