Can Taylor Swift win the election for Harris (Or Trump)?
Americast
BBC
4.3 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 13 September 2024
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The self-proclaimed ‘Childless Cat Lady’ Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris… but what difference is it likely to make, in terms of persuading the undecideds, and getting new voters registered? We also look back at the history behind celebrity endorsements from Frank Sinatra’s backing of JFK to Bruce Springsteen and Ronald Reagan, what motivates a star to back a politician? When does an endorsement backfire? Justin, Sarah and Marianna speak to Tyler Foggatt, a senior editor at The New Yorker magazine.
HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring, Social Media & Misinformation Correspondent
GUESTS: Tyler Foggatt, Senior Editor at The New Yorker magazine.
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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni with Catherine Fusillo, Alix Pickles and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Hannah Montgomery. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:05.0 | We're coming to the end of what has been another enormous week in American politics and in this presidential election. |
| 0:11.0 | The first, probably only, debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, |
| 0:14.8 | highlights including accusations that immigrants are eating cats and dogs in Ohio. |
| 0:19.8 | That isn't true by the way. |
| 0:21.0 | And then a childless cat lady dropped a post on |
| 0:23.6 | Instagram just minutes after that debate finished. That's how Taylor Swift signed off |
| 0:28.1 | her endorsement of Kamala Harris. She posted it alongside a picture of her, cuddling her gorgeous cat, Benjamin Button. |
| 0:35.2 | And then she was on stage at the MTV Awards as well this week where she was encouraging people |
| 0:40.1 | to vote. |
| 0:41.1 | And the fact that this is a fan voted award and you voted for this. |
| 0:44.2 | I appreciate it so much and if you are over 18 please register to vote for something else. |
| 0:49.0 | It's very important for for a presidential election. |
| 0:53.0 | I love you all so much. |
| 0:54.8 | Taylor Swift is big. |
| 0:55.8 | You don't need us to tell you that. |
| 0:57.3 | She's very, very, very big. |
| 0:58.3 | She's got a very big tour which has already gross over a billion dollars. |
| 1:01.4 | She's got almost 300 million followers on |
| 1:04.0 | Instagram. She is one of the most photographed, most celebrated people on the planet. |
| 1:09.2 | Does that mean though that her endorsement of a political candidate will make any difference at all |
| 1:14.9 | with how people vote or whether people are paying any attention to this election? |
... |
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