Source:
Independent News By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Published: 06 September 2007
One of the big political questions of the hour is whether Oprah Winfrey can help turn Barack Obama into the first African-American president of the United States. This weekend Ms Winfrey is throwing open the gates of her 42-acre Promised Land estate in Montecito, California, for her first political fundraiser. She will welcome about 1,500 guests to her home, sandwiched between the Pacific and the mountains, and expects to raise about $3m (£1.5m) for Mr Obama's already overflowing coffers.
By some assessments Ms Winfrey is already the most influential woman in the world: her daytime TV show, with 8.4 million viewers, is the highest-rated talkshow in history. She recently launched her own satellite radio channel. She is the wealthiest and most philanthropic African American ever, and her book club is a major force in publishing. In fact, there are many who wish Oprah herself would run for president, but she has already ruled it out.
In May she told her viewers that she was backing Senator Obama in what was seen as a major boost for his campaign. But she is now in talks about going out on the stump and bringing her extraordinary branding expertise to the Obama White House run.
Bill Clinton already adds a frisson of excitement to his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign stops. The prospect of Ms Winfrey turning up with Senator Obama would broaden the appeal of his already electrifying public events.
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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2934348.ece
oprah and bill - toe to toe - forget the candidates
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