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VOX

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132. The wellspring of billionaire *vanity candidates* is Citizens United.

Fri Jan 19, 2018, 07:36 PM

Jan 2018

It certainly greased the wheels for Trump’s candidacy. Billionaire Mark Cuban is currently considering a run. Billionaire Tom Steyer is being coy (I like Steyer, but have no clue if he could efficiently oversee our government).

There will be more (and FAR worse) of these vanity candidates, because you can buy your way into politics pretty quickly these days.

Ending Citizen’s United would provide some protection against this foolishness, but Republicans will never go for it.

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Oprah Winfrey Helped Create Our Irrational Pseudoscientific American Fantasyland - Slate [View all] SidDithers Jan 2018 OP

I often wondered what kind of idiots got behind a celebrity personality like Trump. nt LexVegas Jan 2018 #1

Oprah is nothing "like" Trump.. I don't particularly want her as President whathehell Jan 2018 #30

Hmm... Orrex Jan 2018 #2

Hang in there brother HAB911 Jan 2018 #3

The struggle is real. NCTraveler Jan 2018 #5

Despite her 'nicey-nice' TV persona, she's not a particularly nice woman. GoneOffShore Jan 2018 #14

A diva? Beaverhausen Jan 2018 #22

Saw her rip on someone for being polite while Ms W was at the crafts services table on a set GoneOffShore Jan 2018 #108

And what would you call a male actor who did that? Beaverhausen Jan 2018 #122

An asshole. GoneOffShore Jan 2018 #123

Sorry that happened to you. whow. riversedge Jan 2018 #60

It absolutley sucks that a female celebrity... NCTraveler Jan 2018 #4

I'm wondering how many times you can miss the point so spectacularly Orrex Jan 2018 #6

Over and over and over again. NCTraveler Jan 2018 #9

I'm glad that my factual and accurate statement resonates with you Orrex Jan 2018 #11

Let's disagree w/o being disagreeable, shall we? al bupp Jan 2018 #64

LOL SunSeeker Jan 2018 #20

Running or not... Baconator Jan 2018 #23

Agree completely., NCTraveler whathehell Jan 2018 #31

First off, she's not being "vetted". PoindexterOglethorpe Jan 2018 #32

I don't know the History Channel exboyfil Jan 2018 #7

You're not saying It's Aliens, are you? hatrack Jan 2018 #10

You have seen V right? exboyfil Jan 2018 #13

. . . hatrack Jan 2018 #111

History Channel for President! rusty fender Jan 2018 #72

I do think it's overstating it a bit to claim she created this platform of legitimacy kcr Jan 2018 #8

It's definitely overstating it.. whathehell Jan 2018 #29

It's not hate. Dave Starsky Jan 2018 #37

Maybe not "hate" but certainly whathehell Jan 2018 #47

Oprah is no more qualified than Ryan Seacrest... Dave Starsky Jan 2018 #68

Are you a dentist, lol? whathehell Jan 2018 #70

Bad anology, by the way whathehell Jan 2018 #71

We've seen what someone without skills does as president. I sure fucking hope the next one has some. X_Digger Jan 2018 #80

Trump is not missing "skills" as much as human qualities whathehell Jan 2018 #82

If that's all you think Trump is missing, you're woefully underinformed. X_Digger Jan 2018 #85

Is that "all" I think Trump is missing, lol? whathehell Jan 2018 #99

Dude, that's great for her and her fans... RedFury Jan 2018 #101

Dude, What is "great for her and her fans"? whathehell Jan 2018 #102

The skills involved. In being President are not "technical". whathehell Jan 2018 #83

The fuck they aren't. Knowing how house committees work to get a bill passed.. X_Digger Jan 2018 #84

Post removed Post removed Jan 2018 #100

As we see with Trump, the voters decide, ultimately, who is or is not qualified. Sophia4 Jan 2018 #65

Is it an overstatement to say that she helped to create it? sl8 Jan 2018 #75

Either way. How do you help create something that already existed? kcr Jan 2018 #125

Fair enough. sl8 Jan 2018 #129

Please, keep Oprah Winfrey far, far away from political office. longship Jan 2018 #12

Thank you so much The Polack MSgt Jan 2018 #15

+1 dalton99a Jan 2018 #17

I can think of people I'd like a lot farther away...Paul Ryan, Donald Trump. whathehell Jan 2018 #33

And Oprah too, please. longship Jan 2018 #41

"profound ignorance of science" my butt. She,'likely knows more than the Republican Congress whathehell Jan 2018 #42

Her mind is open to abject quackery. longship Jan 2018 #43

See you...At least she"s not a Climate Denier, like most elected Republicans and THAT is more whathehell Jan 2018 #44

Trust me. I'm on that issue, too. longship Jan 2018 #45

That's good.. whathehell Jan 2018 #48

The extent that people put forth Oprah as putative POTUS... longship Jan 2018 #49

Enjoy yourself.. whathehell Jan 2018 #52

Non-sequitor. longship Jan 2018 #57

Grammar critique, lol? whathehell Jan 2018 #67

The dreaded iPhone autocorrect: okee donkey! longship Jan 2018 #77

Longship, WHY do you focus hostility against liberals instead Hortensis Jan 2018 #90

I have no hostility toward Oprah personally. longship Jan 2018 #92

Why not criticize Republicans for cause? Hortensis Jan 2018 #105

Oh! I do. longship Jan 2018 #106

No, because Oprah isn't, and couldn't be, the threat that Ryan, Trump & McConnell are whathehell Jan 2018 #54

Not "uniquely unqualified," no. Nonhlanhla Jan 2018 #55

Stop comparing Oprah to the GOP loons. longship Jan 2018 #58

I certainly did not compare her to the GOP Nonhlanhla Jan 2018 #69

LOL, I know Orac's sister in real life. greatauntoftriplets Jan 2018 #74

K&R Gothmog Jan 2018 #16

Every negative article I've read so far about Oprah.... Stellar Jan 2018 #18

That's bullshit... Baconator Jan 2018 #24

The hell it is...Stellar is correct . whathehell Jan 2018 #35

How do you know that? sl8 Jan 2018 #88

Because my experience whathehell Jan 2018 #93

You realize that isn't any sort of confirmation, right? sl8 Jan 2018 #130

NOT CORRECT.....A 3 minute google search and..... USALiberal Jan 2018 #116

Sorry, but misogyny is real whathehell Jan 2018 #50

It can influence their view point but it doesn't automatically mean what they have to say... Baconator Jan 2018 #87

Not "automatically", no, but whathehell Jan 2018 #94

I dismissed it because it was biased and overall a bad idea... Baconator Jan 2018 #127

+1 uponit7771 Jan 2018 #25

You noticed that too? whathehell Jan 2018 #34

Joan Walsh criticised her on TV for the pseudoscience, apparently muriel_volestrangler Jan 2018 #89

LOL, nice try! n.t. USALiberal Jan 2018 #112

Are you saying that I DIDN'T come across those articles... Stellar Jan 2018 #113

Read this article and then self delete your post...... USALiberal Jan 2018 #114

Or read this one and SELF DELETE your post...did you do ANY research?? USALiberal Jan 2018 #115

As I said... Stellar Jan 2018 #117

So you chose not to read any by women, I get it now, carry on! nt USALiberal Jan 2018 #118

Jeebus... you people are rough! nt Stellar Jan 2018 #119

I am not a fan of blanket statements when someone did NO checking at all. n.t. USALiberal Jan 2018 #120

That's unfortunate. nt Stellar Jan 2018 #121

Hi Sid! Long time no see. Are you worried we'll nominate Oprah? SunSeeker Jan 2018 #19

My 19 year old cat radical noodle Jan 2018 #21

Agreed. nt SunSeeker Jan 2018 #26

Thanks for the link. Ellipsis Jan 2018 #27

the law of attraction EllenlogRL Jan 2018 #28

She's not an absolute empiricist -- So what? whathehell Jan 2018 #36

That is hilarious. 'The Secret' is beyond a total scam. GoneOffShore Jan 2018 #107

The Law of Positive Attraction. Dave Starsky Jan 2018 #131

Just the thought pressbox69 Jan 2018 #38

She gave us "Dr" Phil. LSFL Jan 2018 #39

Dr. Oz rpannier Jan 2018 #103

i forgot about him. LSFL Jan 2018 #124

TV is TV: With very rare exceptions: salacious B.S. sells: ratings are everything. Not truth. lindysalsagal Jan 2018 #40

The personalization of reality is both dangerous and a symptom of ignorance. L. Coyote Jan 2018 #46

This is why I hope she runs. sfwriter Jan 2018 #51

Let me append to say that she MIGHT make a great candidate, sfwriter Jan 2018 #53

You must be joking...If they aren't,'t forced to smell it with Trump, they never will. whathehell Jan 2018 #73

Different snake oil. sfwriter Jan 2018 #78

Smarter, classier, kinder & in a Far Less Embarrassing package.. whathehell Jan 2018 #81

I think she could do really well. sfwriter Jan 2018 #86

Yes whathehell Jan 2018 #95

Some people don't want to hear this left-of-center2012 Jan 2018 #56

I can't imagine ever voting for Oprah. democrank Jan 2018 #59

Wow. The GOP is realy scared of her. Next, they will have doctored "groping" photos. McCamy Taylor Jan 2018 #61

+1 uponit7771 Jan 2018 #79

I favor having quite a number of candidates in the primary. Sophia4 Jan 2018 #62

And no, she did not single handedly make America what it is. McCamy Taylor Jan 2018 #63

Thank you. Like you, I hadn't realized that Americans were all rational and scientific pnwmom Jan 2018 #98

Yes. Oprah did highlight some charlatans and they later became wealthy Freethinker65 Jan 2018 #66

+1, 5 out of 5000 turned out to be a toad and she gets lambasted here uponit7771 Jan 2018 #109

Any who speak ill of Oprah ... left-of-center2012 Jan 2018 #76

Nice to see you back. Mosby Jan 2018 #91

Oh, yeah, right. Americans were always perfectly scientific and rational pnwmom Jan 2018 #96

"Inside Philanthropy on Oprah Winfrey" pnwmom Jan 2018 #97

but she is nice . . and that puts her as qualified as PBO . . read it right here so it must be true DrDan Jan 2018 #104

Not everyone who is 'nice' is good. I'm not sure that she's even 'nice'. GoneOffShore Jan 2018 #110

Remember when we had a woman as a candidate ? KTM Jan 2018 #126

I have a 'meh' opinion of Oprah apart from all of this. CakeGrrl Jan 2018 #128

The wellspring of billionaire *vanity candidates* is Citizens United. VOX Jan 2018 #132

She Gave Us Quacks AnnieBW Jan 2018 #133

Ohhhh, ouch Hekate Jan 2018 #134

It's way, way easier to simply look to the opinion of a public figure than ehrnst Feb 2018 #135