Oprah Winfrey and Obama

Why this endorsement is wrong

Published on December 9, 2007 By Bahu Virupaksha In Current Events

The talk show host Ms Oprah Winfrey is known all over the world as a concerned voice for the disadvantaged. The school that she constructed in South Africa for poor children reinforced her image of being a television version of Mother Theressa. However her decision to openly back Barack Onama in his bid for the Presidency seem to me to smack of a slight bow towards identity politics.I have nothing against Obama and indeed, I find him quite engaging as a politician and he does not have to carry the baggage of Iraq as he opposed the war.

I do not think Oprah Winfrey is doing the right thing in embracing the cause of Obama in this manner. As a celebrity Oprah Winfery has a tremendous influence on the public and for that reason she should articulate clearly why she prefers Obama to Clinton. Unless she does this her backing of Obama will smack of partisanship.

Comments

kingbee

on Dec 09, 2007

she should articulate clearly why she prefers Obama to Clinton. Unless she does this

i can't find a transcript of her speech, but those few excerpts i've located seem to do exactly what you're asking of her:

"if we continued to do the same things over and over and over again, I know that you get the same results."

obama is--in her words--the only candidate who "stood with clarity and conviction against this war in Iraq" from the beginning.

works for me

kingbee

on Dec 09, 2007

her backing of Obama will smack of partisanship

candidates from both parties run against members of their own party in the primaries. supporting one democrat over other democrats cannot reasonably be considered partisanship.

ParaTed2k

on Dec 25, 2007

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas time, Bahu!

Bahu Virupaksha

on Feb 29, 2008

I wrote this at the start of the campaign and now I have come to appreciate the situation better.

Daiwa

on Mar 08, 2008

If the bitch pulls a Lazarus a la McCain, I pity Oprah.

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