The Japan Times - Swifties harness their power for Kamala Harris

As of Wednesday midday "Swifties for Kamala" had raised more than $140,000 in favor of the Democratic White House hopeful.

They held an inaugural fundraising call the evening prior that was joined by some 27,000 viewers, launching the effort aimed at "turning our swiftie power into political power," as the group's political director put it during the meeting.

Stars like Carole King along with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand appeared in the virtual meeting.

"I am a swiftie, and Taylor and I are actually friends," King, the legendary singer-songwriter behind hits including "I Feel The Earth Move" and "You've Got A Friend" said on the call.

"I've been a political activist for years. I've been a volunteer, I've been a door knocker, even as a famous person," King continued.

"I'm telling you all this because if any of you are thinking of volunteering to be door knockers or phone callers, but you're a little nervous about what you might say, please believe me: there is nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Swifties For Kamala began as a social media initiative founded by social media user and swiftie Emerald Medrano in the hours after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

The effort blossomed across platforms, and with accounts that currently have more than 72,000 subscribers on X, and nearly 50,000 on Instagram.

Swift herself is not personally affiliated with the group.

"We're a coalition of Taylor Swift fans committed to protecting the United States of America's historical democracy by working together to help progressive candidates in local and national elections, including Vice President Kamala Harris for our country's next president," reads the group's mission statement on their website.

The group has a policy platform section on their website urging the protection of LGBTQIA+ rights and reproductive freedom, as well as support for new immigrants and taking climate change seriously.

They also list "a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas" as a priority.

Along with collecting donations they're encouraging swifties to register to vote, and selling merchandise including shirts that say "In My Voting Era."

- 'Swifties are the leaders' -

A global megastar with hundreds of millions of social media followers and a wildly loyal -- and chronically online -- fan base, Swift can move any needle with the tiniest of efforts.

The right and the left have long wanted to count the "Blank Space" singer as their own -- but for years Swift stayed conspicuously out of politics, including in 2016 when Donald Trump won the presidency.

Speculation abounded that the superstar was a closet Republican, until 2018, when she broke both her silence and the internet by endorsing the Democratic opponent of far-right politician Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee.

Blackburn won anyway, but it ushered in a new chapter for Swift: she later explained handlers had urged her against wading into politics, telling her it could damage her career -- particularly in the country music industry, which despite its complexities is often associated with conservatism.

Swift endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and has conveyed pro-LGBTQ+ messages through her songs and music videos.

She also condemned the Supreme Court's reversal of the federal right to abortion, and has encouraged droves of her fans to register to vote.

But Swift's massive popularity has also meant she's a regular target for political misinformation and right-wing conspiracy theories, often fueled by AI and amplified by the likes of Donald Trump.

Nabbing a Swift endorsement for Harris isn't the goal of her organizing fans, they say.

"We are not waiting on Taylor to show her support for Kamala Harris. We are doing this outside of her, using the platform of swifties as a way to get people involved in the election," Rohan Reagan, among the group's social media managers, told Cosmopolitan recently.

Democratic Senator Ed Markey, who also joined the kickoff call, told swifties that "I am in awe of the community you have created online to share not just your love for Taylor Swift, but your commitment to building a better world."

"This is the time, this is the place," he continued. "The swifties are the leaders for us to win this election."

M.Matsumoto--JT