Taylor Swift breaks political silence, denounces "systemic racism"

After staying politically silent for her entire career, Taylor Swift has endorsed a pair of Tennessee Democrats in the November midterms. The pop superstar, who is a registered voter in the state of Tennessee, made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday night, saying that she would vote for Phil Bredesen for Tennessee Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives.

“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,” wrote Swift, who won an assault and battery lawsuit in August 2017 against a radio DJ who allegedly groped the singer during a backstage meet-and-greet.

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In her post, Swift voiced her support for candidates who will “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.”

Most notably, Swift made a point of calling out Bredesen’s Republican opponent, Marsha Blackburn, by name. While Swift said she would like to support women running for office, she cannot vote for the polarizing Blackburn. “Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me,” wrote Swift, running through a list of Blackburn’s policies. “These are not MY Tennessee values.”

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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! 🗳😃🌈

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 7, 2018 at 4:33pm PDT

Swift’s endorsement could help right the ship for Bredesen, who caused an uproar among his base this past weekend by releasing a statement that he’d vote for President Trump’s controversial nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. Following a historic vote on Saturday, Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault, was narrowly confirmed by the Senate.

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Swift appeared to nod to the anger Bredesen’s statement aroused in his supporters. “For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100 percent on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.”

Bresden responded to the surprise endorsement Sunday night on Twitter. “Thank you for the kind words, Taylor Swift,” he wrote. “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.”

The Grammy winner, who will resume her Reputation Tour in Australia on October 9th, encouraged those of age to register and cast their ballot. “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,” she said. “Go to vote.org and you can find all the info.”

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