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Senator Barack Obama received a huge endorsement to his campaign last week from Oprah Winfrey. If you question the power of her endorsement, I would point out that she recently convinced millions of Americans to read As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner. Only parting the Red Sea would have been a greater miracle.
The advantages to Obama of having Oprah on his side are wide-ranging, and start with the good will his brand gains by its association with hers. In a recent Celebrity Trust Index compiled by Davie-Brown Talent, Oprah and Tom Hanks were named as the most trustworthy celebrities. And the most trend-setting? Oprah, again. To people impressed with wealth, her $1.3 billion will speak volumes.
Add this extraordinary good will to her market penetration, and Obama couldn't ask for a better supporter. Oprah is best known for her daily talk show, but she also hosts the daily Oprah & Friends radio show on XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: XMSR), publishes O, the Oprah Magazine, and works the Internet through Oprah.com.
Her presence should benefit Obama several ways. It will certainly help with fund raising, both from Oprah's audience and those bandwagon riders who see her endorsement as legitimizing his prospects.
Obama has, surprisingly, received lukewarm support from the African-American community, and this endorsement should elevate his stature in that demographic. Traditionally, Democrats benefit from large vote turnout, and he could benefit if Oprah uses her bully pulpit to inspire a strong get-out-the-vote movement.
Best of all, by announcing for Obama, Oprah has eliminated Obama's greatest threat as a potential candidate: Oprah herself. What a candidate she would be!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-07-2007 @ 11:11PM
Carl G. said...
Of course she can influence the election; there are people out there who are too stupid to think for themselves and will do anything some other fool tells them to do.
5-08-2007 @ 4:22AM
Denise Morelli said...
Oprah, I think you should think twice. this is not a book you are endorsing. This man may become the most powerful man in our free world. If he does
one thing wrong it will fall in your lap, and it should. You know how powerful your words can be.
5-08-2007 @ 7:49AM
henry said...
I believe it was the Ellen Degeneress show. When Ellen asked Oprah which candidate she was pulling for and why? Her reply was "I am feeling Barrack". But she did not know why. Just no justification why she liked him. Boy, she would be lucky if she can persuay those puppets in her audience to vote for him. I guess because he is African American that is a good enough answer if Ms. Winfrey says so. I felt sorry for Barrack. He can and will get much better endorsers then that woman.
5-08-2007 @ 9:45AM
Stephen 101 said...
I have lived in Obama state senate district, and he is to busy to see you unless you have money to contribute. To me he has done nothing to improve his old district, and it is still run down. To me Obama does not finish anything he said he would, he told us that he would stay as our Senator now he is running for president.
I do feel sorry for all the simple minds that would listen to Oprah, she is only endorsing Obama because he is black. Does she know what his qualifications are?
5-17-2007 @ 7:37PM
konstanze said...
Now this is funny: why should I not vote for Obama because he is black (and smart and sincere - to the extend that you can be in politics). For centuries (!)great men and women have been excluded from being even considered for president because they were black. Color always mattered. Now is a good time to just turn it around. And by the way: Many voted for Georgie Jr. because he is someone's son. Now that has turned out a prejudice, too, hasn't it? George Bush's experience in national security issues has been quite disastrously lacking. Voting black is beautiful - no matter what color you are.
5-21-2007 @ 9:42AM
suzan said...
It's time we had someone whose motives are for the majority and who is honest and very bright. He's also better qualified to mend all the damage that Bush and his cult have done to all of us in this country and elsewhere. I think Obama is the best candidate to come along in my lifetime. Let's change the direction of politics in this country. Stay open and follow your own heart. Our country and world depend on it.
5-23-2007 @ 12:38PM
D said...
OBAMA: The Musical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANdqjqLE9k
5-23-2007 @ 12:40PM
D said...
OBAMA: The Musical
Goodluck getting this song out of your head. Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QANdqjqLE9k
5-25-2007 @ 1:03PM
Judy said...
For all the Oprah haters, she is just as powerful (or even more so) than some white men out there. She is influential and very much respected. That does not make her a fool, as some idiot mentioned above. She is intelligent, among other traits and some of us respect her opinion because we share most of her views. In the final analysis, we will and should all vote with our heads for the best candidate we deem fit for the job, whether it is a black man or a white woman.