Celebrity politics
James Forsyth 2:44pm
I’m normally fairly sceptical about the value of celebrity endorsements. I can’t imagine that if, say, Frank Lampard urged people to vote Tory at the next election it would make much of a difference. But the exception to this rule is Oprah Winfrey, the American chat show host who is going out to stump for Barack Obama this weekend. She’s already filled an 80,000 seat football stadium in South Carolina for the campaign and she’s enabling Obama to reach voters he otherwise wouldn’t.
To get a handle on just how much Oprah matters to her fans and how much influence she could have on the race consider these two statistics:
“A November poll by the religious issues Website Beliefnet found 33% of respondents said Winfrey has had "a more profound impact" on their spiritual lives than their own clergymen.”
“In a recent Pew Research Center poll, 15 percent of respondents said they were more likely to vote for a candidate if endorsed by Winfrey”With Obama leading in Iowa and the race in New Hampshire tightening, we might be about to see a much closer race on the Democratic side than anyone expected a month or so ago. Obama is getting an injection of O-mentum at just the right time.
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Comments
TGF UKIP
December 7th, 2007 5:54pmA tightening and ever more ferocious race is good news for the Republicans. Either Hilary or Obama will have a strong motivational effect on many core Republican voters, it's just a pity that they haven't a core Republican candidate themselves. Obama I'm beginning to think may be more difficult to beat than Clinton, but I keep wondering if Newt doesn't regret throwing the towel in so early.
Verity
December 7th, 2007 8:47pmTGF UKIP - Hillary not only has the money behind her, she's got a very sophisticated, canny organisation of political operators. She can also point to her experience. Obama has no experienc. Two years as a sophmore senator doesn't count. That said, Oprah is a very powerful voice, which scares me. Obama is an egoist (of course, so are all politicians, but his egoism is based on nothing except an extremely high opinion of himself and a sense of entitlement. I don't like the man and I don't trust him. I think he is incredibly dangerous. I wish to hell the Reps would get their act together.
Frank Lampard's disturbingly silly haircut
December 8th, 2007 11:31amIf Lampard said vote Tory, Labour would win by a landslide!
ozynol
December 9th, 2007 1:07amNever underestimate Oprah and her influence on American popular opinion. I predict we are going to see a lot more of her on the political stage in future ... especially if Democrats win the election.
"You go girl" right into a cabinet posting or an ambassadorship, or even a run at the white house.
Richard Goold
December 9th, 2007 11:54pmAs a Canadian with no vote and a fan of Oprah, I have a feeling that she has split the vote and given the Republicans the next presidency whoever they run. Obama was born in Indonesia. In my mind the best hope for fair representation for American blacks is Clinton. I believe Oprah has killed Clintons chance of being the first woman in the Whitehouse.
NNAMDI MEGAFU
December 10th, 2007 7:56amIT IS ABOUT TIME ORDINARY PEOPLE STAND UP AND BE COUNTED IN POLITICAL ARENA, IF BLACK AND MINORITY CITIZENS OF AMERICA FAIL TO SEE THE LIGHT BEING GENERATED BY OPRAY WINFEY'S PUSH FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL, THERE WILL BE NO TRANSFORMATION FOR THE POOR AND THE LESS PRIVELAGED IN THE UNITED OF STATES
C. Todd
December 11th, 2007 12:23pmOprah used to be an avid fan of Hilary Clinton's, yet she has now decided to go up against her, and with an inexperienced male politician who does not measure up to Hilary in any way. Nobody appears to have speculated that Oprah may single handedly bring down the woman who deserves to become America's first female president in order to see an African American man get there first. It's an embarrassing and depressing thought, yet it has the ring of truth.
albert
December 11th, 2007 9:10pmBarack Obama represents both majority and minority alike since his parents are both white and black. This is a new era of political sensitivity of all people of America and the rest of the world. This is an opportunity to brige the gap between black and white. The dream of Martin Luther King must come true.
albert
December 11th, 2007 9:10pmBarack Obama represents both majority and minority alike since his parents are both white and black. This is a new era of political sensitivity of all people of America and the rest of the world. This is an opportunity to brige the gap between black and white. The dream of Martin Luther King must come true.
LA
January 28th, 2008 1:59amIt is hypocracy to the max that now Obama won South Carolina and Oprah wants to campaign for him. I think as long as race and gender is the the issue that makes or breaks a candidate then America is still backwards and has a lot of hang ups to get over. The nation is mentally and psychologically impaired to choose the right leader who should be elected based on their humanity not on their race or gender.
Jonathan
January 28th, 2008 10:16pmYou only have to follow Obama's speech, records and recent conducts to see a leader in the making. I think he is spirited, intelligent, warm and inspiring like J.F.K. Give the poor guy a chance!