From Swift to Springsteen to Al Jolson, candidates keep trying to use celebrities to change voters’ songs
- Written by Matt Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Park University
It’s 2016 all over again. And 2020, for that matter. Democrats are staring at what looks to be another coin flip[1] election between their party’s nominee and Donald Trump.
In an election that could come down to a few hundred thousand votes in a handful of states, every voter matters – no matter how you reach them. With that in mind, Democrats are communicating not just on matters of policy, but matters of pop culture.
Specifically, Democrats are embracing football and Taylor Swift. The Harris-Walz campaign trotted out endorsements[2] from 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers and sells Swiftie-style friendship bracelets[3] on its campaign website, among other overtures. Swift herself has endorsed Kamala Harris[4].
Tim Walz cited his experience as a football coach and mentioned Swift in the vice presidential debate[5].
Democratic challenger and former NFLer Colin Allred, who is running to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has put out ads in which[6] he appears moments from taking to the gridiron.
But how much does pop culture campaigning, if you will, matter? Does trying to link a campaign to a sport, or a culture, or a style of music actually influence elections? Looking to five different election campaigns in the past can give a sense of the effects, or lack thereof, of such campaigning.
An ad for Texas Democrat Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player, stresses his football past in his bid to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz.Reagan and Springsteen
Any discussion of the embrace of pop culture by candidates should probably start with Ronald Reagan’s Bruce Springsteen era.
Reagan, attempting to reach beyond his base, viewed 1984 as a vibes-based election[7] and cited Springsteen as an exemplar of the hope his campaign wished to inspire. Springsteen rejected[8] a request from Reagan’s camp to use his often-misunderstood “Born in the U.S.A.[9]” on the campaign trail. The song’s lyrics describe a down-on-his-luck Vietnam War veteran[10], but if you don’t listen carefully to the lyrics, the song can sound like a celebration of veterans and being American.
While Reagan went on to win 49 states[11] in that year’s election, perhaps the biggest long-term impact of his courtship of Springsteen fans was to turn Springsteen[12] from a relatively apolitical performer to a staunch supporter[13] of the Democratic Party.
In this way, Springsteen’s transformation mirrors that of Taylor Swift, with Marsha Blackburn[14], the Tennessee Republican senator, serving as her Reagan – the person who pushed the performer into the political arena after years on the sidelines.
Springsteen and Kerry
Springsteen’s foray into politics eventually led him to back Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004 with a series of concerts called the “Vote for Change”[15]“ tour.
Kerry, meanwhile, undertook his own efforts at cultural turf claiming. His attempts to demonstrate his bona fides as a sports-loving everyman went awry at times[17], when he flubbed the name of "Lambeau Field,” home of Wisconsin’s Green Bay Packers, and referred to a nonexistent Boston Red Sox player, “Manny Ortez.” The ill-fated sports references arguably didn’t hurt his campaign – he won Wisconsin and Massachusetts – but he was ridiculed for a photo-op hunting trip[18] late in the campaign and went on to lose rural Midwestern voters[19] decisively – as well as the election.
Kerry’s dabbling with hunting imagery was perhaps an attempt to dull President George W. Bush’s advantage in perceived strength of leadership[20], which was in part burnished by his adoption of a cowboy persona[21].
Harding, Jolson and the Cubs
While Reagan’s attempt to woo 1980s rock fans is one of the best-known attempts to campaign on a mantra of popular culture, it was far from the first.
Sen. Warren Harding’s 1920 front porch campaign[22] for president was given a jolt of enthusiasm by a visit[23] from singer and actor Al Jolson[24]. Harding was also visited in his hometown, Marion, Ohio, by other actors and celebrities and the Chicago Cubs[25].
Harding’s strategy probably better serves as a template for things to come than a decisive move in the 1920 election: His victory with over 60%[26] of the popular vote suggests no celebrity could have saved Democrat James Cox[27].
Bill Clinton and MTV
As the Harris-Walz campaign tries to draw votes from Swift’s young fans, parallels can be drawn to Democratic Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s attempts to embrace youth culture in the 1992 presidential election. Among other appearances, Clinton took questions from young voters on MTV[28] and played saxophone[29] on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”
While the direct effect of Clinton’s forays into youth culture is difficult to measure, he did surge among young voters[30] relative to Democrat Michael Dukakis’ 1988 presidential campaign[31].
In his 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton went on MTV to answer young people’s questions, which included ‘If you had it to do over again, would you inhale?’Ford and football
Any discussion of politicians embracing football culture would be incomplete without a discussion of the American president best at playing football, Gerald Ford[32], the vice president who became the nation’s 38th president in 1974, when Richard Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal.
Ford played center[33] on two national championship teams at the University of Michigan. While not using his football player background to the same level as former football coach Walz did at the Democratic National Convention[34], Ford did make use of his football credentials on the stump[35] during the 1976 presidential campaign and was joined on the campaign trail[36] by Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
But the votes of football fans were apparently not enough to keep Ford in the White House for long. He lost the 1976 election to Democrat Jimmy Carter[37].
Potentially fruitful pickups
Will the Harris-Walz strategy of recruiting voters through pop culture be successful? Swift’s fans are largely young, suburban women[38], and NFL fans are strewn across[39] the political spectrum. There are potentially fruitful pickups in both camps. The candidates certainly think it matters: Walz said[40] he “took football back” from Republicans, a claim disputed by Trump[41].
Stressing pop culture credentials can also provide attention to a campaign, regardless of persuasion. Clinton’s pop culture appearances generated coverage[42] beyond the appearances themselves and were cost-effective[43] for a campaign short on funds.
This type of pop culture campaigning generates coverage, then, even if voters aren’t moved by thinking a candidate shares their love of football or pop music.
References
- ^ coin flip (projects.fivethirtyeight.com)
- ^ endorsements (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
- ^ friendship bracelets (store.kamalaharris.com)
- ^ Swift herself has endorsed Kamala Harris (www.npr.org)
- ^ vice presidential debate (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ ads in which (www.youtube.com)
- ^ vibes-based election (www.politico.com)
- ^ rejected (www.rollingstone.com)
- ^ Born in the U.S.A. (www.youtube.com)
- ^ down-on-his-luck Vietnam War veteran (www.dw.com)
- ^ 49 states (www.270towin.com)
- ^ turn Springsteen (www.inquirer.com)
- ^ staunch supporter (www.msnbc.com)
- ^ Marsha Blackburn (www.tennessean.com)
- ^ Vote for Change” (www.spin.com)
- ^ AP Photo/Laura Rauch (newsroom.ap.org)
- ^ awry at times (slate.com)
- ^ hunting trip (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ rural Midwestern voters (issuelab.org)
- ^ perceived strength of leadership (www.jstor.org)
- ^ cowboy persona (doi.org)
- ^ 1920 front porch campaign (ohiomemory.org)
- ^ visit (us.macmillan.com)
- ^ singer and actor Al Jolson (www.britannica.com)
- ^ and the Chicago Cubs (www.ohiomagazine.com)
- ^ over 60% (www.presidency.ucsb.edu)
- ^ Democrat James Cox (www.britannica.com)
- ^ young voters on MTV (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ played saxophone (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ young voters (ropercenter.cornell.edu)
- ^ 1988 presidential campaign (ropercenter.cornell.edu)
- ^ Gerald Ford (millercenter.org)
- ^ played center (mgoblue.com)
- ^ Walz did at the Democratic National Convention (www.cnn.com)
- ^ football credentials on the stump (www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov)
- ^ joined on the campaign trail (www.al.com)
- ^ Democrat Jimmy Carter (millercenter.org)
- ^ largely young, suburban women (theconversation.com)
- ^ strewn across (fivethirtyeight.com)
- ^ Walz said (x.com)
- ^ disputed by Trump (www.foxnews.com)
- ^ generated coverage (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ cost-effective (www.jstor.org)
Authors: Matt Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Park University
