Harry Potter cast a spell on the U.S. to propel Barack Obama to Presidency twice, professor claims



Anthony Gierzynski believes the moral novels 'played a small but not insignificant role' in influencing voters in both elections in 2009 and 2012

The University of Vermont professor argued fans absorbed literary themes of tolerance and diversity, which made President Obama appeal to them



He looked at the voting habits of 1,000 college students born after 1980 and found 83% had negative views of former President George W Bush

A professor has claimed that Harry Potter (played by Daniel Radcliffe, pictured) is partly responsible for Barack Obama being elected as US President

A political science professor has claimed Harry Potter is partly responsible for Barack Obama being elected as U.S. President.

Professor Anthony Gierzynski believes the moral tales found in the best-selling books 'played a small but not insignificant role' in influencing voters in both elections in 2009 and 2012.

He argues that fans took on-board key themes in the novels, including lessons of tolerance and diversity, which made President Obama and the Democratic Party appeal to them more than the Republican Party.



Professor Gierzynski, at the University of Vermont, claims J.K. Rowling's epic tale of an orphaned wizard who battles evil at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry also had some sway on who lives at the White House.

He said: 'The lessons fans internalised about tolerance, diversity, violence, torture, skepticism and authority, made the Democratic Party and Barack Obama more appealing to fans of Harry Potter in the current political environment,' Medical Daily reported.

The professor said Millennials, who are born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s and comprise the core of J.K. Rowling's fan base, were so taken with the novels' moralistic themes it influenced their political persuasion.

The research is presented in Professor Gierzynski's latest book, called Harry Potter and the Millennials: Research Methods and the Politics of the Muggle Generation.

Professor Gierzynskiargues said fans absorbed key themes in the book, including lessons of tolerance and diversity, which made President Obama (pictured) and the Democratic Party appeal to them more than the opposition

His study looked at the voting habits of 1,000 college students born after 1980 and found 60 per cent of students who had read the book said they voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.

Furthermore, 83 percent of those surveyed had negative views of former President George W. Bush.

The scientist believes the book's ability to portray good and evil in two relatively distinct sets had an impact on reader's ethical values and political persuasion.

The villains of the novels are clearly set out so it is not difficult for readers to know who to side with, according to Professor Gierzynski, who believes a type of moral inflation is seeded in readers, who later support immigration reform and marriage equality, for example.

The professor said Millennials, who are born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s and comprise the core of J.K. Rowling's fan base, were so taken with the novels' moralistic themes it influenced their political persuasion. Characters Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are pictured

He said: ' Attitudes in opposition to the use of violence, torture and deadly force came to be associated with the Democrats at the end of the Bush years, mainly in opposition to Bush administration policies and failures in these areas

'The opposition to equal marital rights for same-sex couples and immigration reform by the Republicans put those who support political tolerance…and those who are more accepting of diversity on the side of the Democrats.'