Taylor Swift Speaks Out Against Republican Senate Candidate Marsha Blackburn, Endorses Democrats in Rare Political Post
Taylor Swift, who admits she has previously been “reluctant” to voice her political opinions publicly, has issued a rare statement about her stance on the upcoming midterm elections. The pop star posted a lengthy letter on Instagram Sunday night (Oct. 7), urging her followers to vote after educating themselves on the political candidates running in their state.
In her post, Swift outlined her personal values and pledged to vote for candidates based on their commitment to protecting basic human rights for all, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
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She also very clearly berated Republican Tennessee representative and Congress candidate Marsha Blackburn, whose voting record “appalls and terrifies” her. Swift revealed she will be voting for Democrats Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives.
“I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee,” Swift began in her letter. “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,” she continued. “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.”
She shared, “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.”
Swift then announced the candidates she does plan to support: “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,” she concluded.
Bredesen responded to Swift’s endorsement on Twitter, writing: “Thank you for the kind words @taylorswift13. I’m honored to have your support and that of so many Tennesseans who are ready to put aside the partisan shouting and get things done. We’re ready for it.”
See Swift’s full post below.
A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT
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