North Florida’s own Jane Sheppard here, bringing you the latest news from Suwannee County. In a recent development, Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump continue to vie for the attention of first-time voters, as we enter the final stages of this exceedingly tight election race.
Pop Culture Influence on Politics
Recently, two celebrities with a massive young following have shown their support for Harris. Pop sensation Billie Eilish and her brother posted a video on Instagram, urging their followers to register to vote. The siblings also revealed their plan to vote for Harris. On the other hand, popular podcaster Joe Rogan applauded Harris’s political team and her strong debate performance, without officially endorsing her.
The endorsements from these celebrities, following Taylor Swift’s support for Harris, could be a turning point in encouraging younger voters. This demographic is being heavily pursued by both campaigns. Rogan’s positive comments about Harris, although not a formal endorsement, hint towards support for the vice president. This could be a setback for Trump’s strategy to target younger male voters, a significant portion of Rogan’s listener base.
Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Voter Turnout
Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, is Spotify’s number one podcast in terms of unique listeners and overall follower counts. It also ranks fifth on Apple Podcasts, taking into account audience size, engagement, and completion of episodes. Eilish and her brother, well-known for their collaborative efforts in music production, boast a combined 123 million followers on the Meta Platforms Inc. app.
Such wide-reaching platforms can be instrumental in influencing voter decisions. Music star Billie Eilish, 22, urged her followers to vote saying, “Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.” The Harris campaign responded to Eilish’s post with a comment referencing one of her hit songs, “Birds of a feather.”
Oprah Winfrey, a media mogul, and Taylor Swift, a pop icon, are among the many big names in Democratic-leaning Hollywood who have already endorsed Harris. Winfrey’s support was believed to have contributed about 1 million votes towards Barack Obama’s victory in his first presidential run in 2008, according to economists Craig Garthwaite and Timothy Moore.
Get-out-the-vote Efforts
While celebrity endorsements rarely serve as a game changer in elections, the current polling data showing Harris and Trump essentially tied highlights the potential significance of get-out-the-vote efforts. Several celebrities used their platforms to encourage their fans to register to vote on Tuesday, which was National Voter Registration Day in the US.
As we navigate the complexities of this election season, it’s clear that every voice counts. Stay tuned for more updates from your trusted local reporter, Jane Sheppard.
