By Stephanie Kelly
HOUSTON – Superstar singer Beyonce took the stage at a rally for Kamala Harris in Houston on Friday night, not to sing but to offer her first public political appearance this election cycle at a crucial moment for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Beyonce, a Houston native, walked on stage to roaring applause from the crowd of some 30,000 attending Vice President Harris’ abortion rights-themed rally, alongside fellow former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.
Instead of singing, she addressed the crowd for several minutes.
“I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyonce said. “Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right.”
She then introduced Harris, who walked onstage to what has become her campaign anthem: the song “Freedom” from Beyonce’s 2016 album “Lemonade.” Beyonce gave the vice president a long embrace before exiting.
Harris’ summertime lead over Republican opponent Donald Trump in the race for the Nov. 5 election has all but evaporated, national opinion polls show, and she is within the margin of error in the battleground states that will likely decide the election, her campaign says.
But she has picked up a considerable advantage over Trump with women, who most polls and surveys show make up much of Beyonce’s audience. Harris led Trump by 49% to 36%, or 13 percentage points, among women voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published late in August.
“Beyonce is one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful women at a historic time when (politically and positionally) the most powerful woman in the US is running for US President,” said Melvin L. Williams, a communications professor at Pace University.
Williams said he was uncertain that Beyonce would reach voters who have questions about Harris. “We must acknowledge that celebrities are great political advertisers, but they are not guarantors of political victory for candidates,” he added. – Reuters
