Nope, you haven't inadvertently clicked on the satire site, The Babylon Bee. Unfortunately, this story is true. According to a new poll, Taylor Swift could sway the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. 

No, really. Nearly one-fifth of voters say they're "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a candidate endorsed by the billionaire singer-songwriter. Yes, it's come to this. 

The question is, what, exactly, is this? 

In a poll conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, 18 percent of registered voters said they'd be more likely to vote for a candidate backed by Swift, with 17 percent saying they'd be less likely to vote for a candidate backed by the pop phenom, which could bode badly for Joe Biden. 

Fifty-five percent would be neither more nor less likely to be influenced by Swift's choice. Among all respondents, 45 percent said they were fans of the singer, and 54 percent said they were not. Only 6 percent said they were not familiar with Swift. (How I wish I were among that 6 percent.)

While Swift hasn't indicated who she'll vote for in November, she did vow to kick Trump out of the White House with her vote in 2020. 

Try to control your shock and amazement.

After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? 'When the looting starts, the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump.  

Raise your hand if you'd love to debate Taylor Swift — with half your brain tied behind your back.

Try to control your shock and amazement. pic.twitter.com/WuWGSMLtMu

— MikesRight (@RealLibSmacker) January 29, 2024

Does Taylor Swift's presidential preference really matter? Let's do a quick bit of math.

Swift's cult-like influence is strongest among voters under the age of 35. The 2024 presidential election is expected to see 8 million new voters — and a total of roughly 40 million Gen Z voters, many of whom are influenced by celebrities and social media.

Communications consultant James Haggerty told Newsweek: 

She's influenced popular culture, sports, [and] the economics of entire regions of the U.S. So why not politics and elections?

Celebrity power in elections has grown because celebrity power itself has grown. And in a world awash in messages, it's the celebrity voices that really resonate.

Someone wanna grab that question and run with it?

Media consultant Brad Adgate echoed Haggerty's irrational rationalization:

Swift is in the class by herself. She's so talented and so popular and so ingrained in pop culture. No one is close to her.

As I asked in the headline, barely tongue-in-cheek, "We're not gonna make it, are we?" 

The Bottom Line

I asked at the top: What, exactly, is this? 

This is when we get to a place in America where nearly 20 percent of the largest voting bloc in the nation is "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for whichever presidential candidate an out-of-touch billionaire pop star — a pop star who presumably knows pretty much zero about the everyday life in America — endorses, or at least supports.

Yup, that's where this is.

SEE MORE:

The Conservative Solution to the Taylor Swift Problem

Hypocrisy: Taylor Swift Buys Climate Indulgences to Make Up for Profligate Private Jet Use

Stanford University to Offer Course on Taylor Swift's Lyrics. No, Really.