After President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, the president’s braintrust told worried Democrats, “Don’t panic. Wait for the polls to come out.” When they did it caused more panic among Democrats because they showed Trump had opened a commanding lead in some polls, but not all. 

On July 3, Reuters reported, “ Biden and Trump each had 40% support among registered voters in the two-day poll that concluded on Tuesday. A prior Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted June 11-12 showed Trump with a marginal 2 percentage point lead, 41% to 39%.” All polls are a snapshot of the moment, and the Reuters poll hasn’t stopped some Democrats from calling for the president to step down.

Regardless of whether Biden stays in the race or drops out, the Democrats are in trouble because the polls also showed that many of the voters that helped President Biden get elected in 2020 are showing a preference for Trump because of inflation and immigration issues, in addition to Biden’s age.

The fact that Mr. Trump is not much younger than the president doesn’t seem to worry voters, because he appears so much more youthful and energetic than the president.

It will take more than a new candidate to help them, certainly not the mostly elderly Democratic leadership that doesn’t appeal to young voters. They need a person who can energize voters, especially younger voters who alarmingly for Democrats are showing a strong preference for Mr. Trump, as of July 4, the day I wrote this. They need someone who appeals to younger voters. And they may have one -- Taylor Swift, if she comes out publicly in support of Biden, or any other Democratic candidate that may replace him, as she’s done in the past. (More on this later.)

As the presidential election draws closer. here’s a sure-to-happen occurance: Celebrities will announce their support for President Biden, Donald Trump or another Democratic candidate, if President Biden decides not to run for re-election.

Why am I willing to bet the farm that the celeb endorsements will happen? Because for many decades prominent celebrities from all walks of the entertainment community have endorsed presidential candidates, most of them favoring the Democrat. And this year will be no different. In fact, if President Biden is replaced by a woman, the entertainers who will endorse her will be the greatest ever to back a Democratic candidate, because of the Republicans attack on abortion rights and the hope that a female candidate might also bring along enough young voters to threaten Mr. Trump’s chance of winning, which has increased significantly since Mr. Biden’s disastrous debate performance.

On May 28, 2023 a post on the CELEB website listed 40 prominent celebs who have endorsed Joe Biden’s relection campaign. There are others who have spoken in favor of the president since the list was posted and some who have not yet, but will, announce their support for him or an alternative candidate.

“In the world of politics,” said the post, “celebrity endorsements can wield significant influence, shaping public opinion and energizing campaigns. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Joe Biden has garnered support from an extensive roster of renowned celebrities. (Based on history I strongly disagree with that statement, so strongly that it’s’ in a bold font.)

The list included: Beyoncé,  Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Viola Davis, LeBron James, Jennifer Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adele:  Ellen DeGeneres, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,  Emma Watson,  Leonardo DiCaprio, Serena Williams, Will Smith, Meryl Streep, Chrissy Teigen,  Mark Ruffalo,Billie Eilish,  Reese Witherspoon, John Legend, Bradley Cooper, Alicia Keys,  Julia Roberts, Stephen Curry, Chris Evans,  Lady Gaga,  Robert De Niro,  Ellen Page,  Jay-Z:,  Amy Schumer, Samuel L. Jackson, . Kerry Washington,  Common, Shonda Rhimes,  Stevie Wonder,  Eva Longoria and J.J. Abrams.

Since that list was posted Mark Hamill, Carole King, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Kimmel, Jason Bateman, Kathryn, Hahn. Jack Black, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Barbra Streisand, and Jeffrey Katzeneberg have in one way or another made known that they are in Mr. Biden’s corner.

Even if Mr. Biden declines to run for re-election, the chances that the above celebrities will not stick with the Democratic candidate are as likely as a snow storm at the Equator.

If you believe that voters can be swayed by entertainers, the above list, as we start the first half of 2024, signaled trouble for Mr. Biden even before the debate. While it includes many bold face names popular with older voters, missing are many younger entertainers who have traditionally supported Democratic candidates. 

What’s not known is if the reluctance of young entertainers to announce their support of the president is limited to those only in the entertainment business or signifies a trend among all young voters, or if that is only temporary. (A story in the Wall Street Journal reported that their poll in February and March of voters ages 18 to 29 revealed Mr. Biden leading Mr. Trump 50% to 40%. In 2020, the president won that age group 61% to 36%. But more recent polls show that Mr. Trump has significantly reduced that margin and in some polls of young voters leads Mr. Biden.  Democratic strategists say that they are confident that as Election Day draws closer, young entertainers will announce their support of the president, and young voters will also support the president.)

Some political strategists think that support of entertainers can make a difference in who wins the presidency. It certainly helps raise money for a candidate, but in my opinion that’s all it does.

I have always doubted that a voter can be swayed by the endorsement of a celebrity. And history backs up my skepticism. Just ask Al Gore, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, all of whom garnered many more endorsements from A - rated celebs than their GOP counterparts.

In her Feb. 4 New York Times column, Maureen Dowd listed some celebs who supported Hillary Clinton. They included Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson and Miley Cyrus. 

Kerry supporters included, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond,  Mary J. Blige, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Crystal, the Dave Matthews Band., Bette Midler, James Taylor, Robin Williams, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder, reported People magazine.

The many celebs supporting Al Gore for president, reported The Guardian, included, Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner ,Warren Beatty, Kevin Costner, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Jerry Seinfeld, Quincy Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Nancy Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.

While not believing that celeb endorsements translate into new votes in past elections, I think that the 2024 presidential election might be an outlier and hinge on the endorsement of a celebrity. That person of course is the world’s most popular pop star and Kansas City football fan – Taylor Swift, who supported President Biden in 2020.

Ms. Swift has been attacked by the MAGA loonies as a possible CIA spy, a Pentagon asset and a Democratic Party operative. Attacks on Ms. Swift like that might influence wavering voters to not vote for Donald Trump, a person who sees a conspiracy against him 24/7, and whose backers include some who might not have both oars in the water.

The possibility of Ms. Swift endorsing President Bidden has so frightened Donald Trump and his MAGA allies that on Jan. 30, Rolling Stone, the “ monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture,” reported  that Mr. Trump has been in discussions with Republican and conservative media figures in recent months about the prospect of Swift endorsing Mr. Biden.

And on June 14, the New York Times reported, according to various people in the room, that Mr. Trump, during his meeting with House members at the Capitol Hill Club, complained that the pop music megastar Taylor Swift would support President Biden over him. Mr. Trump has previously argued 

that Ms. Swift, who endorsed Mr. Biden in 2020 but has not done so this year, should back him instead. The former president was quoted in a February 11 Times article that “it would be disloyal” for Ms. Swift not to back him because he made it easier for artists to collect royalties when their songs are streamed.”

Donald Trump and the Republicans are so terrified that thousands of Swifties might vote for Joe Biden and provide the margin of victory for the president that they’ve been attacking Taylor Swift as if she controls her fans 

minds, when it’s the former twice-impeached and criminally-convicted Trump who obviously controls MAGA minds. What Mr. Trump and his allies should be more fearful about is that she might write a song about the demons in Mr. Trump’s mind.

A more realistic reason that the former president should be fearful of a Ms. Swift endorsement of President Biden has to do with the ages of both candidates and the low turnout of young voters. 

One reason that young voters stay home on Election Day is because they don’t relate to candidates who are old enough to be their parents and grandparents. But they do relate to people like Ms. Swift who speaks their language. Younger people of voting age have demonstrated approval of Ms. Swift and Mr. Trump is rightfully fearful that they might follow her preference for president, which I don’t think will be the former president.

If Ms. Swift endorses the Democratic candidate for president it’s possible that she was the decider

There’s an important lesson that PR practitioners should learn from a political campaign. Just as history shows that big name celebs endorsements didn’t help Al Gore, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton, having an A-list celeb as a product spokesperson doesn’t guarantee that the celeb will deliver significant positive publicity or increase sales. Yes, reporters might be willing to interview the celeb, but stories will probably be about the person’s career. Missing will be brand message points. And that doesn’t help the client.