Editorial note: If you have not yet read our mission statement above, please do so in order that you can put our blogs in context. 

9 October 2018

Hats off to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who has outed herself as a Democrat supporter in the upcoming US mid-term elections next month.

 On 6 November she will be voting in Tennessee for Phil Bredesen in the Senate elections and for Jim Cooper in the elections to the House of Representatives.

Here is what Swift posted yesterday on Instagram (as reproduced by BBC News):

“I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway. So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting!”

Antigone1984:

It gives a big boost to the cause of justice when a mega pop-and-country rock idol comes out on our side. Pointy heads sometimes look down on tin pan alley as representing nothing more weighty than glam and razzmatazz. Taylor Swift’s powerful polemic on behalf of the underdog gives the lie to this myth. Right on, gal. By yesterday afternoon her clarion call had attracted around 1.5 million likes. What run-of-the-mill professional politico could boast such influence? All power to her elbow.

Egg-heads whose acquaintance with the lady in question is a little rusty need to get out more. This frail has 112 million followers on Instagram. That is big time! According to Wikipedia, Taylor Swift, one of the best-selling music artists of all time, has sold more than 40 million albums and 130 million single downloads. Born in Pennsylvania in 1989, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at 14 to pursue a career in country music – and has never looked back. 

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You might perhaps care to view some of our earlier posts.  For instance:

1. Why? or How? That is the question (3 Jan 2012)
2. Partitocracy v. Democracy (20 July 2012)
3. The shoddiest possible goods at the highest possible prices (2 Feb 2012)
4. Capitalism in practice (4 July 2012)
5. Ladder  (21 June 2012)
6. A tale of two cities (1) (6 June 2012)
7. A tale of two cities (2) (7 June 2012)
8. Where’s the beef? Ontology and tinned meat (31 Jan 2012)

Every so often we shall change this sample of previously published posts.

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