This Taylor Swift love story includes a popular football star and a boost for democracy | Opinion

America is divided. It has been for some time. Politically speaking, two parties are warring and it’s taken a toll. With an election looming, the bad blood will only worsen. But it’s not all karma: America’s favorite singer/songwriter, Taylor Swift, might just unite America with some of our favorite things.

As if it wasn’t enough that Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is expected to gross over $2 billion in North American ticket sales alone, this last week Taylor Swift captivated both the world of football and pushed for more democracy. Talk about our wildest dreams.

This weekend, Swift was spotted hanging out at a Kansas City Chiefs game, in tight end Travis Kelce’s suite. She was even photographed laughing and being chummy with Kelce’s mom to boot. Apparently, Swift and the football superstar are dating, or at least, getting to know each other. Could he be the one?

This is following her much-publicized split from actor Joe Alwyn back in the spring — a London boy she dubbed the king of her heart, whom she dated six years. That breakup notwithstanding, you gotta give a girl credit for getting back in the game with a stud like Kelce. Girl’s got game; consider us enchanted. From actor to rock star to NFL player, what’s better than revenge? New love.

If her rebounds aren’t enough to inspire anyone to love again, she’s also using her platform to rally people to vote. On Tuesday in an Instagram post, Swift encouraged her 272 million followers to register to vote and included a link.

“I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my U.S. shows recently. I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!”

The result? More than 35,000 people have registered to vote according to the nonpartisan nonprofit Vote.org, where she directed folks.

Of course, it’s likely that a lot of the people who registered to vote due to her prodding are Democrats. That could be her end game too. After being relatively quiet for many years about politics, Swift, a registered Democrat, started speaking out a few years ago, voicing her support for Democrat politicians who were pro-choice and pro-LGBTQ policies. She vocally opposed Donald Trump during his presidency.

People shouldn’t vote for a politician, just because their favorite songstress does — that’s why we can’t have nice things. But even so, most people would agree that more people voting is a good thing in this divided environment. While the 2020 election did enjoy the highest voter turnout in election history, at nearly 67%, it’d be incredible to see even more turn out in 2024, which will likely be a showdown between Trump and Biden.

Call it what you want; we know America isn’t perfect. Some would argue we’re going through a tough time right now with a divided country, a struggling economy, and a porous, chaotic border. But the U.S. is still a kind of wonderland to many people: Its democracy, while imperfect, is second to none in terms of size and scope. The world of football, from the Chiefs, to TCU, to high school, is something we all can enjoy. Friday Night Lights brings out the best in us. Texans know this all too well.

Here’s to America and here’s someone who brings the things we all love together. If Taylor Swift were a man, people would be writing songs about her. First she fuels the economy, then she gets people to the polls. It’s a love story, baby, just register to vote — and get to a game.