Posted on 01/08/2018 11:32:55 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
If, that is, she is truly interested in a presidential run.
If Hillary Clinton could deliver a political speech half as effectively as Oprah Winfrey, she might be president today.
The actress, media mogul, and erstwhile queen of daytime TV gave what, if she ever becomes president, will be known to history as the Golden Globes Address. The first de facto convention speech ever delivered at an awards show, it brought down the house and predictably stoked talk of Oprah 2020, with people close to her fueling the speculation.
In the era Before Trump, this would have been risible. Once upon a time, military service, political experience, a policy portfolio, and national-security chops were mandatory to plausibly run for president. That time feels like a long time ago. Now, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has mused about running himself, stood and applauded Oprah’s speech, you could see the early pecking order of a potential Democratic nomination battle establishing itself (“The Rock” would be a second-tier candidate).
What Donald Trump proved is that a celebrity with charisma, performative ability, and gobs of free media can, in the right circumstances, stomp conventional politicians who lack all three. People who were merely governors and senators, who had never really performed on a big stage or truly mastered the media (they were just politicians, after all), stood at a distinct disadvantage.
It’s very easy to see Oprah Winfrey doing to the likes of New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand what Donald Trump did to the likes of Wisconsin governor Scott Walker.
A common cold-water argument against Oprah running is that Democrats will want the opposite of Trump in 2020, an experienced, boring politico who’s well versed in the issues and a reliably competent executive. This line works on paper. Republicans said the same thing about Barack Obama, who prior to 2008 had come as close to genuine celebrityhood as a working politician can get. Yet Donald Trump succeeded where the worthy, earnest, managerial Mitt Romney failed.
On the current trajectory, what Democrats will most need in 2020 is someone with a big enough personality that Trump can’t diminish and negatively brand him or her. This is what he did with the rest of the Republican field and Hillary Clinton in 2016, and he easily could do the same against “Pocahontas,” aka Elizabeth Warren, and “Crazy Bernie” Sanders.
Oprah, used to commanding a massive microphone and managing a matchless brand, might be relatively immune to this treatment. She could try Obama’s tack of running to the left substantively and to the center stylistically. She’d be the empathetic healer, the advocate of abused women, running to make history in the shadow of the civil-rights movement.
If, that is, she’s truly interested. Even the best campaigns have down cycles and bring humiliations of the sort celebrities usually avoid. Why would Oprah, who at the moment never has to encounter anyone who isn’t in awe of her, want to sign up for that?
Half the country would, by definition, begin to dislike her. She would have to fight with that part of the Democratic base committed to Bernie Sanders and suspicious of her as a Hollywood billionaire. She’d experience something that she’s never truly had to encounter: negative press.
For the first time, she wouldn’t be completely in control of her own image. She’d have to answer for her promotion of kooky products and theories over the years, and open up more about a private life that has been almost entirely shielded from public view.
If you believe Michael Wolff, Trump conceived of a presidential run as a way, if all else failed, to enhance his brand. Oprah’s brand needs no such enhancing. If she ran and lost, she’d become a failed presidential candidate and could presumably never quite return to being Oprah Winfrey again.
In short, there are compelling reasons for her not to make the plunge. The inherent absurdity of the idea is not one of them.
If she were the candidate, the media would immediately paint a positive picture of her. She would become the champion of the poor, a genius, beautiful, charming, charismatic, a “committed Christian”, a champion of all races, fair and just, bla bla bla.
bammy, an America-hating marxist atheist with extremely strong emotional ties to *slam, was presented as a “committed Christian” who loved America, a genius, God, handsome, bla bla bla. A public with its collective head up its collective anus bought it and elected the guy twice.
It’s not about Trump; the appeal is about the economic nationalist agenda. It figures no one at interNational Screw Offline gets it.
Yup because she’d probably have a nervous break down if they told her how the game really works.
I she gets elected, I would think about moving to Poland. Naa, I can’t afford that. I’d be prepping hard for bad times though.
Of course. Anything to salvage their now long gone credibility and reputations. There is an “I told you so” somewhere to be found. But where is it? If the never trumpers find it the howling will never stop. If not, they are cooked.
Oprah was a visitor to Hartford when her BFF was a news anchor at WFSB. One day, I was in a restaurant when they came in. They were rude to the waitstaff and the customers there. That’s not the only time I dealt with O. My ex girlfriend’s brother was a waitstaff at another Hartford restaurant and she berated him for not serving her quickly. Rude POS....
Not at all. If Trump can get elected, so can Oprah. I wouldn’t be dismissive of an Oprah candidacy.
Obama was twice elected president.
Yep. Lots of people laughed at Donald Trump. I won’t laugh at Oprah Winfrey.
Absolutely take her seriously and start the opposition research right now! The public domain is full of her racist comments and pictures with luminaries like her BFF Harvey Weinstein, all of which will make a great collage.
It’s lose lose for Oprah. There is no compelling reason for change when the economy is screaming, and the economy will be screaming in 2020.
I think the Trump branding would be a lot of fun!
“Soapy-Oprah”
“Cryin’ Oprah”
“Loser Winfrey”
“Doperah”
“Dopey-O”
...Just want to get ahead of it.
Reknowned political predictor #NeverTrump Lowry weighs in...
Wonder who her running mate will be Van Jones or Hillary?.
Some white guy to make the white suburban women, who aren’t quite through, destroying the country yet, feel safe.
Burn her out now; don’t wait. Shouldn’t take long.
Are you really that ignorant, or do you have to work at it?
Go ahead Oprah, ya feelin’ lucky? Go ahead, run for President....
When the press gets done with you, you will think a trip to the Proctologist was less invasive.
The press will get in line to look where the sun don’t shine......freedom of the press, remember?
I have some personal knowledge of Oprah here. From years ago when Oprah decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon. Talk about self-centered, demanding and short tempered.....
Trump has nothing on you for petulance and rudeness.
Her name is "Harpo" spelled backwards...maybe someone can come up with a nickname that will make people think of Harpo Marx every time they hear her name mentioned.
Of course it's unfair to Harpo to make the association. Compared to Oprah, he's Plato.
She might get more enthusiastic responses from two of Hillary's core groups--blacks and unmarried women--but it is hard to see her doing even as well as Hillary among white men. I think her electoral college total would be lower than Hillary's.
Indeed they have a spending fixation.
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