CHAUDHURY: Political endorsements matter
The Washington Post lost 200,000 subscribers after owner Jeff Bezos decided to end presidential endorsements by the paper. This amount constitutes eight percent of the total subscriber base. Bezos wrote an article defending the decision.
In the article, he wrote, "What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it is the right one."
Political endorsements are a form of bias at face value, but this understanding lacks nuance and assumes people do not vote based on endorsements. In the 2020 Democratic primary, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) endorsed President Joseph R. Biden Jr. As a result, 47 percent of South Carolina voters said it was either the most critical factor in their vote or an important factor.
I used to agree with Bezos, but everything matters in an election cycle where specific counties determine the result. Political endorsements have had significant impacts in previous elections.
A study by Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management found that talk show host Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of former President Barack Obama was responsible for approximately one million additional votes in the 2008 Democratic primary. Although the election was not close in 2008, a sum of one million voters is substantial.
This week, three Los Angeles Times editorial board members resigned after owner Patrick Soon-Shiong made a decision similar to Bezos. Both were lined up to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential campaign but failed in a world of politics dominated by social media headlines and polarization.
Factors such as "who supports who" are increasingly more significant to each of us. The extent of significance can be attributed to newspapers' unique role as a source of information, but this leads to an equally scary revelation: people do not want news that does not agree with them.
Both parties have been leaning on their endorsements to get a leg up in this election. Kamala Harris has referenced her endorsements from former Vice President Dick Cheney and billionaire pop star Taylor Swift on the campaign trail.
In contrast, former President Donald J. Trump brought comedian Tony Hinchcliffe and political commentator Tucker Carlson to his recent rally at Madison Square Garden.
According to the BBC, Noel Drake, a 29-year-old living in Utah, felt "bleak" about politics before joining a group called "Swifties for Kamala." Now, she has led local campaigns in her state.
Nearly 340,000 people visited the registration website vote.gov, using a custom link Taylor Swift created within 24 hours. We live in a world where you can guess who someone votes for based on their favorite celebrity. Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) gloated on The Daily Show about the coalition behind the Harris campaign, including "Dick Cheney … (and) Taylor Swift."
At the Trump rally hosted on October 27th, Hinchliffe called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage," while Carlson commented on Harris' mixed-racial heritage. This example reflects the dangers of political endorsements: your endorsers can often speak for you.
Although Trump inviting these speakers to his rally implicitly serves as an endorsement, ultimately, the question remains about how much weight we should give to political endorsements.
The outrage comes at a time when early voting has started in most participating states, and voters have received mail-in ballots. Then again, by September, 70 percent of Generation Z already knew who they would vote for. A last-minute endorsement should not hold weight, yet the Washington Post lost eight percent of its subscriber base by not endorsing Harris.
It is easy for me to write here, demanding that voters research policies instead of voting based on their playlists. But politically informed citizens often fail to empathize with the other side. Regardless of our time's troubles, most Americans feel exhausted by politics.
Political endorsements are essential and are not just perceptions of bias. Voters have responsibilities outside of keeping up with the news, so sometimes, people vote because of Taylor Swift. We should not end political endorsements because it will not solve the issue of low political participation. It may be scary to realize celebrities' weight over our society, but it is our reality.
Celebrities will decide the 2024 election.
Shayan Chaudhury is a first-year in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in philosophy and economics and minoring in philosophy, politics and economics. Shayan Chaudhury’s column, “Keeping up with the Capitol,” runs on alternate Wednesdays.
Columns, cartoons, letters and commentaries do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
YOUR VOICE | The Daily Targum welcomes submissions from all readers. Letters to the editor must be between 350 and 600 words. Commentaries must be between 600 and 900 words. All authors must include their name, phone number, class year and college affiliation or department to be considered for publication. Please submit via email to oped@dailytargum.com and eic@dailytargum.com to be considered for publication.
