I have never watched Oprah, though I know of her influence

[question everything]

in promoting sales of new books.

However, I doubt that this would be translated into her audience swooning over and voting for Obama, as some on the media say. I think that the race card will play here. I can see many of her audience thinking: of course she supports Obama; both are African American.

(A disclaimer: he is not my first choice at this point but if he is the nominee of course I will vote for him).

[wyldwolf]

1. As Chuck Todd at MSNBC said...

there's a risk -- not for Obama, but for Oprah. After all, she has plenty of viewers who are Republicans or who support Clinton. Michael Jordan was credited with saying that he steered clear of politics because "Republicans buy sneakers, too."

[durrrty libby]

2. Unlike many people here, I like Oprah. I may read a book

she endorsed or try a recipe her chef demonstrated, but that's about it.

When I first started reading DU, I was shocked at all the Oprah hate.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. I went on a match.com date one time with a guy who said he wanted to kill her

He said this with utter seriousness. He claimed that Oprah singlehandedly caused most of the divorces in this country. Needless to say, that was my one and only date with him. Also needless to say, he was a raging wingnut.

The Oprah hatred is very odd, but definitely palpable. Maybe it's her success that is bothersome, or that her show often departs from "fluff" to present serious issues that affect women. I don't watch her too often but her influence on society, particularly on women, is inescapable. So I can understand people taking issue with her show and I know disagree vehemently with some of the things she espouses and promotes. But the way she is savaged by her detractors is beyond the pale. I have to conclude that it stems from deep-seated resentment of the uppity Black woman.

Notice how she gets excoriated while a racist misogynistic assbag like Howard Stern (who BTW is only a 'liberal' now because the FCC was going after his show) is revered. Well, we all know why.

[durrrty libby]

7. Wow there sure are lunatics roaming free in this country.

[question everything]

9. I hope that you alerted match.com

There was actually a story in the local paper a few weeks ago about the reporter being rejected by the site..

As for Oprah, I suppose someone else could have started it - the complete lack of shame and privacy. People go on her show and spill all their private life and misery and relations. And it finally moved to the regular "news" program when, instead of providing the facts and background of a story, they seek the "human elements." "Give me your sense..."

"Tell me how you reacted.."

And from there to fill such programs with stories about Anna and Paris and the rest of them is a short distance.

And the irony that some of us are still concerned about the threat to our privacy by the Patriot Act, while, at the same time, would kill to go on Oprha and tell all.

[frazzled]

3. Well, she's a woman, too

So the African-American thing is not perphaps so definitive as one might think.

The real connection is Chicago. This is a local boy, a favorite son. If Oprah were New York-based, I could see her choosing HIllary instead.

[LibDemAlways]

4. Oprah can help Obama raise big bucks as she's

doing with the fundraiser at her Santa Barbara estate. And she can weigh in that he's her candidate. I don't think Oprah, or any celebrity, has much influence in swaying other voters though. Nobody wants to be told who to vote for.

[Imagevision]

6. You doubt Oprah's audience would swoon over voting for Obama? we'll see...

[emilyg]

12. I really doubt.

[valerief]

8. Oprah is an annoying cheerleader with magic-thinking shows but she's got loads of power.

If anyone can garner support for Obama, Oprah can.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

13. The magic thinking stuff is what I don't like about her the most.

She has provided a major forum to new-agey positive-thinking gibberish spouting snake oil peddlers. It disappoints me to see an otherwise intelligent woman fall for that crap. And fall for it she has. It's obvious that she sincerely believes she is helping her audience by turning them on to bullshit like The Secret. I wonder if it helps her justify her incredible good fortune to herself.

[valerief]

14. I agree. I could take the happy-talk cheerleader stuff if she didn't

peddle the snake oil, as you so aptly put it. I would prefer it if she did the rag-on-celeb crap instead of the magic-thinking.

[beachmom]

10. I watch Oprah from time to time, and I admit to enjoying hearing

self improvement stories.

My issue with her show is that at times it is too consumerist. "Things" are given too much credence. Now she'll have other shows where she'll say shopping won't make you happy, etc. but then the next day it's all about "Her Favorite Things" or all these different products you can buy to decorate your home or garden. I can't get into that. It's superficial and fake, and this aspect of American culture which she furthers with her show is one of the reasons why there is so much credit card debt, IMO, in this country.

As far as endorsing Obama, as someone upthread said, they are both Chicago success stories, yes, both AA, but most importantly, Oprah likes Obama's hopeful message. It is very in line with her way of thinking about the world. This is a one time deal for her: she is largely apolitical. I completely understand why she is doing this, but I don't see her doing it again anytime soon, unless, of course, he loses, and then runs again.

[ellacott]

11. You've summed it up very well

People are making too big a deal over this. Oprah's endorsement may influence some while a teamster's endorsement will influence others. Some on this board think they're endorserment(through siggies and posts) will in influence people here.

I can't understand why the whole world has a right to express their opinion but Oprah doesn't.

[AtomicKitten]

15. Not happy about the Schwarzenegger endorsement.

As a Californian, I can say she OWES her audience an apology. She told America, looking right in the camera that all the "hanky-panky" allegations were tabloid lies. Then Schwarzenegger confessed, but no apology from Oprah. That James Frey "thing" apparently is not a trend.

But I'm THRILLED she's signed on to Obama's campaign because that's the kind of flexible person I am. :P