From Swift Boats to Swifties
Dear Leading Ladies,
The most consequential outcome of last week’s debate may have been the endorsement of Kamala Harris by Taylor Swift. To quote President Biden, “I mean it. That’s not hyperbole. I really mean it.”
Yes, Harris did a great job offering bait that Donald Trump snapped at every time. Yes, she stood strong and presidential. Yes, she made sense in the face of nonsense about dogs and cats being gobbled up by immigrants. But let’s face it. Diehard Trump supporters were not going to jump ship and line up behind Harris because of Trump’s repetition of the same lies he has been pedaling for months and, yes, years.
But when Swifties — some portion of the performer’s 284,000,000 followers — heard their idol encourage them to do their research about important matters and then make up their own minds and vote for the candidate who represents what they want for the world, they took action. When she said, “If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most,” there were 405,999 visits to vote.gov.
And let’s be clear. She didn’t tell her followers how to vote. She respected them instead and used her own behavior as an example. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country,” Swift said. She trusted them to make their own decisions wisely as long as they considered the options. It’s hard not to hear an echo of a parent’s words when a teen goes out on a weekend night: “Make good decisions at the party.” Parents who have put in the time to talk about the repercussions of good and bad decisions and who demonstrate some trust in their children rest a little easier on those evenings. Not with any guarantees, but with a little assurance.
Maybe if our education system prepared our young for the responsibilities of participating in our government, we wouldn’t need Taylor Swift to do the job of motivating youth to get involved. Maybe they would already be involved.
Instead, we have the latest results of the 2024 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, which determined that less than half of Americans “can name most of the rights protected under the First Amendment and under two-thirds can name the three branches of government.”
Specifically,
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) can name all three branches of government; 13% can name two branches; 8% can name only one, and 15% cannot name any.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) name freedom of speech when asked what specific rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment. Freedom of religion is named by just 39%; less than a third (29%) say freedom of the press; a little over a quarter (27%) say the right to assembly; and about 11% say the right to petition the government.
Only a little over half of U.S. adults know which party controls the Senate and which controls the House of Representatives.
What’s the solution? For this November, it may be endorsements by the likes of Taylor Swift and other high profile figures whose words and presence can encourage young and old to school themselves in some of the issues and candidates and get themselves to the polls.
But we better look at the long game, and that means our education system. The eighth grade civics class many of us sat through is looking pretty good right now. And the School House Rock video our kids memorized filled some currently widening gaps with its foot tapping songs.
So, thank you, Taylor. Thank you for your wisdom in not lecturing or telling young people how to think or what to do. That never works. Thank you for offering some guidance and encouragement to your followers to help them become informed and active voters.
The next long-term step is up to the rest of us. We need to demand that our schools educate students about how our government works and how to participate in it. And those advanced classes in constitutional law and US government and politics that are available in well-funded public and private schools must be for all students, not just for high achievers destined for fancy colleges. So find out if civics/government is taught in your district and, if not, who makes the decisions about curriculum. Then get involved. Attend school committee meetings and write to the superintendent. No matter who wins in November, we need all our children to be prepared to be knowledgeable stewards of our democracy.
But we can’t stop doing what we’re doing for the upcoming November elections! Everything helps. Keep sending postcards and letters. Keep sending money to the presidential and down ballot candidates of your choice. Keep talking to the young people in your lives about the very real effects of their votes. If you have personal stories about not having access to reproductive rights, being victimized by gun violence, homelessness, food insecurity, or inhumane immigration policies, find a venue to share your stories. Personal stories change hearts and minds.
In the long and short run, we’re in this fight for personal rights and democracy,
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team