Correlation is Not Causation, Taylor Swift Edition

Correlation is not causation as they say. But damn. Sure looks like Taylor Swift has youngsters making moves.

Here's a quote from a Buzzfeed article: “We are up to 65,000 registrations in a single 24-hour period since T. Swift's post,” said Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for Vote.org."

The Gaudian's on it too, with this headline: Spike in voter registrations after Taylor Swift pro-Democrat Instagram post

First the post, then the increase in registrations. We got time order and association.

Scholars, holler if you can think of reasonable alternative explanations for the sudden change in registrations.

Or have you already concluded a cause and effect relationship is in place?

Time is happy to use the word "caused" in their headline: Taylor's First Political Endorsements Caused a Swift Spike in Voter Registrations

The New York Times credited Swift by saying she "had something to do with" the voter registration spike. The author of the article, Matthew Haag, wrote that Swift "appears to have contributed to a flurry of last-minute registrations".

Slate played it cautious, asking in their headline: Did Taylor Swift’s Instagram Post Really Cause “a Massive Spike In Voter Registration”?

Journalist Kimberly Atkins does not believe the Taylor Swift hype.

Or they did it because of various active voter registration drives ahead of today’s deadline in 17 states (it was 18, but Florida’s was extended one week due to the hurricane). But sure, Taylor Swift. https://t.co/mBoPryOMRG

— Kimberly Atkins (@KimberlyEAtkins) October 9, 2018

 Going to follow this story and listen to Taylor Swift much more than usual in the meantime.

Since you're here, did you read my post after Taylor got tenure?