Saturday, December 8, 2007
Oprah and Obama
Few people doubt that Oprah's endorsement of Obama is a bad thing. Her name recognition and star power are formidable; when her book club chose to read Tolstoy's Anna Kerenina, the book became a best seller. But does this power translate to votes? It can be argued either way. It may be useful to Obama in taking some of the woman support away from Clinton. However, Time magazine argues that Oprah may actually hurt Obama. I personally don't think it would hurt him, but you can make up your own mind when you read the article.
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3 comments:
I think it will help his campaign. People who are fans of Oprah know that she is results-oriented. It could convince some voters that Obama has what it takes to be a president --- Oprah seems to think so, doesn't she? Why shouldn't I!
There has been a lot of talk about women voters and a lot of woman believe in Oprah as a smart and capable figure that leads in the right direction. Women trust her, and perhaps her trust in Obama can guide her fans to trust him as well.
Check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/us/politics/09oprah.html?ref=politics
Oprah says she is unsure if her endorsement will actually help, but some Iowans think it's a good thing. The article reports one person as saying, "I think Oprah is John the Baptist, leading the way for Obama to win."
I personally don't think that Oprah is "leading the way," but I believe that her support will be helpful. I agree with Laura and others who cite Oprah's support as a good way to steal women voters away from Clinton. Oprah isn't just the traditional celebrity supporter--she actually has a lot of respect for her work, making her endorsement more credible. Unlike the endorsers of some of the Republican candidates, Oprah seems much more connected to voters. I think that lots of voters would be more willing to listen to a woman who is famous for helping others and who will go to Obama rallies and talk to people rather than to some disconnected figure in a suit.
If you listen to this NPR segment, they comment on how Oprah will probably boost Obama's support by approximately 1-2%
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16996412
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