The tangible impact of any celebrity endorsement is difficult to quantify, given the numerous factors that could inform a voter’s choice. But in a close race like this one, experts note that influencing a small number of undecided voters in key battleground states could indeed move the needle, with Oprah Winfrey‘s endorsement of then-presidential candidate Obama in 2007 cited as a pivotal vote of confidence.
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“It’s the people in the middle — the undecided — that Swift has the most potential to affect,” says Mark Harvey, associate professor at the University of St. Mary and author of Celebrity Influence. “I think it’s going to be very, very marginal, but it could be pivotal in swing states where there may be a very tight margin.”
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