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Okay everyone, Mike Huckabee has weighed in on Taylor Swift's political leanings, so we can consider the topic officially closed!
In case you missed it, late on Sunday, Neo-Nazis' favorite music artist Taylor Swift took to Instagram to decry Tennessee's GOP U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn's Trumpian agenda, and to explicitly endorse Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper.
After spending her entire career silent on politics--despite claiming the mantles of feminism and LGBTQ rights in her persona and work--and ignoring her status as the alt-right's favorite pop goddess--the announcement was met with no small amount of surprise from all sides of the political spectrum.
And for their part, Republicans and alt-right figures were furious with what they clearly saw as Swift's betrayal, from GOP figures accusing her of being in an "ivory tower," to Neo-Nazi users of internet message board 4chan theorizing that she was paid off to make the statement.
And as always, Mike Huckabee just couldn't help himself. The former Arkansas governor-cum-Twitter's most celebrated comedic voice took to the platform right away to issue one of his typical laugh-riot takedowns.
So @taylorswift13 has every right to be political but it won’t impact election unless we allow 13 yr old girls to v… https://t.co/4q3GdbuHBa— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@Gov. Mike Huckabee)1539002851.0
Oh.
Sick...burn?...I guess?...
Anyway, actual comedian of stage and screen Chelsea Peretti wasn't having it:
wow thanks daddy for allowing her the right to be political!!!!!!!! also shes not 13 xo https://t.co/FqL6yZk57Q— Chelsea Peretti (@Chelsea Peretti)1539022928.0
And from there, Twitterfolk were off and running, pointing out in brilliant detail just how dumb Huckabee's tweet was:
@chelseaperetti The idea that 13 year olds are her main demo is hilarious. My 13 and 14 year old girls think she’s… https://t.co/7HrmaBX5Pm— Crystal (@Crystal)1539024273.0
@chelseaperetti even if they cant vote its still cool if 13 year olds become interested early!!!!!!!!! he triiiiiiied it— savannah (@savannah)1539023115.0
@chelseaperetti Bruh really thinks one of the most famous people in the world only influences young girls— Mikaela (@Mikaela)1539024474.0
@chelseaperetti Right?? All these people posting about her fans being too young to vote - they are the same ones wh… https://t.co/f9VWykgz8i— just janice 👐 (@just janice 👐)1539040316.0
@chelseaperetti Not only is he misguided about her fanbase, but way to be dismissive about teenage girls. They matt… https://t.co/MyFgLSYV19— Not your ghoulfriend (@Not your ghoulfriend)1539030636.0
@chelseaperetti That's just the age of girls he's attracted to, Chelsea. In the GOP world that's no big deal.— Miss Manda (@Miss Manda)1539022985.0
@chelseaperetti I'm 36 and I will seriously vote however Taylor tells me to.— Jonathan Gourd (@Jonathan Gourd)1539030429.0
@chelseaperetti I was 11? I think when Taylor swift was discovered and I voted the other day and was part of bringing a change to my country— dina (@dina)1539025786.0
But it's not just Chelsea Peretti and Twitter who think Huckabee's a bit off-base--the actual data seems to indicate it too.
Kamari Guthrie, Director of Communications for voter registration and information non-profit Vote.org, told Buzzfeed News that Swift's Instagram post incited a massive spike in voter registrations on her site.
"We are up to 65,000 registrations in a single 24-hour period since T. Swift's post," she said, adding that in Tennessee itself, her organization received 2,144 new registrations since the post. Contrast that with 2,811 new Tennessee voter registrations for the entire month of September and the effect of Taylor's post seems crystal clear.
Your move, Huckabee!
H/T Esquire, The Independent