Take nothing away from her business success in America, even if I don’t partake in watching her show, read her books, etc. She’s the American dream - Elvis style, poor from Mississippi - to multi-billionaire. In one way it is great that the American dream hasn’t died regarding work as well as not having to be a pedigree to go into politics.
But that is where it ends for me, as she is known to be a big Dem, left wing supporter, hook-line-and-sinker, so for me her American success story won’t have any effect.
The expectation is that she parrot the same old cliches, with no in-depth explanation. (Heck - John Kerry kept telling us to go to his website for info!) It’s one thing to be popular on tv, it is another thing to subject oneself publicly and try to convince people of a political position - subject oneself to a real vote with the possibility of humiliation, losing, while getting a political colonoscopy or two in the process. She risks losing some of her audience-admirers once she becomes known politically. Her show will have to be shutdown while running (election laws) and if elected it will remains shut down - because her personality is the product. No one can substitute for her - it wouldn’t be the Oprah show. The $$$ dry up.
But to your point, the problem Ray is that the media will circle the wagons, just like they did for the greatly flawed-corrupt-smartest-HRC ... but would be in overdrive with the race card and fear-of-powerful-woman card. It will be hard to hear Oprah speak unscripted about where she stands on real issues as she will be well guarded most of the time.
Winfrey--based on her own experience being a victim of predatory behavior during her childhood--could have used her very popular nationally syndicated talk show as far back as 1997 to speak out against such behavior in the entertainment industry. She was popular enough even back then that had she spoken out, there was little the entertainment industry could do to her anyway.