I've written about this before, but I think things are starting to get a bit out of control.
In Bonchie's article about Liz Cheney on Thursday, he brought up the fact that conservatives seem a bit too invested in the idea that Taylor Swift is somehow a psy-op and I can't help but agree with him wholeheartedly here:
All of this is for show. There's no actual logic behind the "Taylor Swift is a psyop" thing, and if one believes the government is powerful enough to groom and elevate a mid-level singer to international stardom just to help Joe Biden, then conservatives have already lost. Build a bunker and start stocking it.
...
I wanted the "Taylor Swift is a psyop" crap to die a swift death because it makes conservatives look like jealous losers. Cheney has ensured that won't happen, though, because there's one lesson she refuses to learn: No one likes her.
Taylor Swift is not a psy-op but as conservatives obsess more and more over this, she's slowly becoming a way for Democrats to play hell with the public perception of conservatives as paranoid, delusional, and obsessive. If I'm being brutally honest...it's a solid move by Democrats.
If the roles were reversed, this is exactly the line of attack I'd be taking against them. In fact, when Oliver Anthony first exploded onto the scene, that's exactly what I did because it was absolutely true.
(READ: The Two Reasons the Left Hates Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond')
The attack from the left on Anthony actually united people against the left in some small capacity and painted them as childish and ridiculous.
But conservatives are doing the same now with Taylor Swift and the look is pretty much the same. Obsessing over Swift's effect on the 2024 election isn't a good look, and besides, it's highly unlikely that she'll actually have that great of an effect on things.
As I wrote previously:
While Swift's die-hards will definitely vote for whoever she says to before jumping off a bridge because she suggested it, the brutal truth is that Swift can't put food on people's tables or roofs over their heads. To be sure, Swift has enough money to shame the GDPs of some smaller countries and probably Greece, but she'll never go around buying people houses and food.
The thing that allows people to do that is a solid economy, good job security, and lower inflation. Swift might be an economy unto herself, but she's not your economy.
It's important to note that celebrities have been influencing people for generations, but celebrity support doesn't mean a guaranteed win. Even Taylor Swift failed to get Phil Bredesen elected in his race against Marsha Blackburn in 2018. While her popularity is far greater now than it was then, other celebrities who were at the peak of their popularity and endorsed candidates have also failed.
I need not remind you that all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't get Hillary Clinton elected. In fact, celebrity endorsements almost became a mark of unelectability in the eyes of some.
READ: I Wouldn't Worry About Taylor Swift's Effect on 2024
Conservatives and Republicans can easily shoot themselves in the foot here by making themselves seem so paranoid and nuts that people would have a hard time associating with them. We don't look like the adults in the room and the only people who end up on the winning side are Democrats and Taylor Swift.
Here's the thing about Taylor Swift. She's arguably the most popular celebrity in America at the moment. She's never been more famous than she is now. She is everywhere you look. Her star has never been brighter.
And that's not a bad thing given the timing, because anyone who burns that brightly goes out faster. Soon, Swift-fatigue will set in as people get tired of seeing her and hearing about her nonstop. After the Super Bowl, of which Swift will likely be a huge part, the dimming will begin. The law of undulation will take effect and Swift's star will begin to fall.
All conservatives have to do to let this happen...is nothing, but they can artificially extend Swift's time at the top of society's attention by turning her into a political symbol through anger and paranoia.
In the grand scheme, Swift is a minor cog in the machine. While it would be unwise to say she's wholly politically irrelevant (no popular celebrity truly isn't) she won't be able to move the gears quite like the number at a gas pump or the totals at a checkout screen at the grocery store. It's hard for people to see past the electricity bill they receive to notice or care what Swift is saying about her preferred candidate.
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