The young person’s vote is more powerful than ever, and former President Barack Obama is doing everything he can to encourage the young population to participate in this midterm election — including meeting them where they are. The former head of state appeared in several TikToks, many of which have gone viral, to help rock the vote.
One of those TikTok’s shows Obama with multi-hypenate content creator Mona Swain.
“If I can’t convince you to vote,” she starts before the dad-of-two enters the frame, “…maybe he can.”
@monaswain WATCH UNTIL THE END 😳 Check my bio to make a plan to vote! #creatorsforgood
Obama’s effortless point up to the clip’s message splashed across the frame, which read, “Go Vote!”
The video, posted yesterday, has already raked up 7.8 million views and 2 million views.
Obama also makes a cameo in one of Vitus Spehars’ videos. They host Under The Desk News. In the clip, Spehars goes about their news recaps under a desk, as usual, when the Obama joins them and encourages them to get up and vote.
“In 2008 I voted the way my Dad did, I’m grateful for the work President Obama did to secure marriage equality and will be voting this term to protect these hard earned rights,” they wrote in the caption.
That clip garnered 1.4 million views and over half a million likes.
@underthedesknews In 2008 I voted the way my Dad did, I’m grateful for the work President Obama did to secure marriage equality and will be voting this term to protect these hard earned rights. #creatorsforgood #vote #iwillvote
Both Swain and Spehars’ videos included a hashtag, #creatorsforgood, that nods to what prompted Obama’s newfound presence on TikTok. According to The Washington Post, the Biden Administration and the former president teamed up with the DNC to invite some of TikTok’s most influential users to our nation’s capital to create content that may entice young people to vote.
“House Democrats are committed to reaching voters where they’re at and reminding them what’s at stake on November 8th,” Cara Koontz, the DCCC’s digital communications director, said. “We’re thrilled to have their partnership in this first-of-its-kind effort for the DCCC.”
Spehars believes they was included in the campaign “as a fairly independent, attempting to be a nonpartisan, creator who did not vote for Obama.”
The campaign appeared to be a success before the TikTokers even posted their videos. The influencers were treated to a welcome dinner at We, The Pizza on Capitol Hill, which quickly became a site of pandemonium as masses of young fans took over the restaurant to meet the TikTokers.
Let’s see if that effect translates to the polls.
