How Taylor Swift Surprised Harris, and Entered a New Political Era

Just before midnight on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris was about to greet supporters at a post-debate party in Philadelphia when aides pulled her aside with some news she had not been ready for: Taylor Swift had just endorsed her.

For a vice president already riding high from her performance against former President Donald J. Trump, the blessing of Ms. Swift, the 34-year-old megastar — and the most famous childless cat lady in the world — came as a pleasant surprise.

“Hard work is good work, and we will win,” Ms. Harris said in brief remarks, leaving Ms. Swift’s endorsement to speak for itself. But when the vice president left the stage at the party, a song by the pop star called “The Man” pumped through the speakers: “I’d be a fearless leader / I’d be an alpha type.”

The night was further proof that the Democratic Party’s cruel summer had coasted into a more hopeful election season. In the weeks since President Biden turned his campaign over to Ms. Harris, she has used several high-stakes moments to build out a case against Mr. Trump.

But the race remains uncomfortably close, with voters still signaling that they want to know more about Ms. Harris. Even after a debate widely seen as a success for her, several of the vice president’s advisers said on Wednesday that they believed the contest would come down to disengaged Americans who might not know which way they will vote, or if they will vote at all.

That is precisely where someone like Ms. Swift could make a difference.

In a political landscape with countless celebrity endorsements that do little to prompt would-be voters into action, Ms. Swift’s support stands out as among the most meaningful: Last year, her post encouraging Americans to vote racked up 35,000 new