Oprah Rips Americans for Not Supporting Obama

Syndicated TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey tore into the American people for lacking "reason," "respect," "civility," and "decency" and "only thinking about themselves" for not supporting Barack Obama. Winfrey made her scathing criticism during an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.

A survey released this week showed that a majority of the country believes they are worse off after nearly two years of the Obama presidency.

WALTERS: "And today, what would you say to him (Obama)? How do you feel about it all?"

WINFREY: "I feel that it is, first of all why would anybody want that job? To get, because no matter what you do and how uh, much you give of your heart and wisdom and uh, soul and energy, and I think he's, he's really fully there, giving his all. And to be criticized the way he is I think it's unfortunate. I think it's unfortunate when you have a nation of people who don't want to support the president of the United States."

WINFREY: "I think that he is. You know what I think that what wasn't communicated? I think we don't realize was how close we came to depression. And as soon as we got saved from the brink of that we all forgot what that was, we all forgot. And so I think that he has done a lot and I think that people uh, can't see it because they're only thinking about themselves. The fact that people uh, still are out of jobs, but we're not in breadlines, we have forgotten, we have forgotten how close we came.

"So I think that there needs to be a greater level of respect and a sense of uh, decency and civility and reason. And I think we, we've lost that."

"I think there should be at least 2 more prerequisites to become president. You must have governed a state for at least 4 years and you must have served in the military for at least 4 years. Thats not too much to ask is it?"

While I do agree that such requirements would be preferable, I do not see that the change would guarantee enhanced, more able presidential candidates. During 20 years in the Army, I served under several officers and NCOs who were exceptionally experienced, but who were not really qualified to lead others, nor certainly qualified to be president, but who were in leadership positions due to time in service, politicking, and mastering the "boards." Much like our general political population. I do recognize, however, that our former military presidents have generally been better presidents than non-military candidates.

Likewise, state level executive experience is no guarantee that one will be a fit president. When the states were still recognized widely as they were originally conceived, as sovereign nations, this may have been so, but less so in today's world where all states are ultimately beholden to the federal government in some way and the governors, except on rare occasions, nearly always defer to the feds.

Nor, indeed, is age a good indicator of suitability. Typically one gains wisdom with age, but then there are the Bill Clintons and Nancy Pelosis.

The Framers placed the requirements for president as they did thinking that no one would run who was not qualified, nor be able to be elected, and that a candidate's political peers would serve as a check. They also could not conceive, in real terms, of the multimedia nightmare that has insinuated itself into our daily lives. Further, it was assumed at the time that someone aged 35 would generally have achieved some measure of worth through military service, private enterprise, exploration, diplomatic service, or at least scholarly pursuit. People taught their children back then, after all, and groomed them for adulthood.

Finally, it is ultimately incumbent on The People to guarantee that our presidential candidates, indeed all politicians, are suitable choices to run for office. We have allowed others to guide our destinies for a long time, allowed political parties to give us their choices, rather than make those choices ourselves. We have blissfully voted in one of the candidates political parties have given us, or simply not voted, thinking those are our only choices. People are starting to awaken now, but it will take direct action and constant vigilance on our collective parts to see to it that an Obama is never again elected.

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