WASHINGTON — Her 30 million viewers listen when she tells them what books to read and what jeans to wear, but can TV talk-show hostess Oprah Winfrey persuade Americans who to choose as the next president of the United States?
With Tuesday's announcement by Senator Barack Obama of Illinois that he's formed an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic presidential nomination for 2008, Ms. Winfrey has suddenly been thrust in the role of potential arbiter of the country's political future.
Ms. Winfrey clearly loves the 45-year-old senator, who, like her, is a Chicago-based black personality with an uncanny ability to connect with ordinary Americans. He has appeared on her program at least three times over the past two years and has been urged by Ms. Winfrey on her show to seek the presidency.
He even agreed that if ever he decided to run for president he would be tempted to make the announcement on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
U.S. talk show queen Oprah Winfrey (AP)
Related Articles
“I think Oprah is tremendously influential,” said Jennifer Harris, who teaches English at Mount Allison University and is co-editor of a soon-to-be-released book, The Oprah Phenomenon. “If she tells people to read an 838-page Russian novel, they do it. If she tells people to buy a particular type of candle, they do it. If she makes Barack Obama one of her favourite things, that has tremendous potential to sway voters.
“It's not simply that she has this incredible media empire, but people ... also see her as a friend,” Ms. Harris continued. “It's something far more potent she has with her viewers.”
Ms. Winfrey's Monday-to-Friday talk show has 30 million viewers a week in the United States and is aired in more than 100 other countries. Her U.S. audience is primarily female, middle class and suburban, a politician's dream.
Her magazine, O, which combines celebrity interviews with tips on beauty, fashion and relationships has a monthly circulation of two million. Every ad-packed issue has Ms. Winfrey on the cover.
Her pronouncements on books can suddenly catapult an obscure title onto the bestseller list and Hollywood stars vie to be interviewed by her.
“She is truly the queen of all media,” said Rich Galen, a Republican strategist, who said that any political adviser to Mr. Obama will see Ms. Winfrey's endorsement as a gold mine for votes. “If she decides something is a good idea, then a lot of people think it's a good idea.”
“It provides a connection in people's minds, that Oprah equals Obama,” Mr. Galen said. “She will have a huge impact on Obama's candidacy. Even when his campaign sags, because they all do, having somebody like Oprah who can step in and perk it up is a huge thing.” Already, Ms. Winfrey has made it clear where she stands on the senator with the strikingly good looks and the Harvard law degree.
Prior to an interview with Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, first aired last October, Ms. Winfrey introduced her guest, who was promoting his book, The Audacity of Hope, with these words: “My guest today is a shining example of what is possible if you live your life with fierce hope,” she said. “Newsweek calls him a political phenomenon unlike any previously seen on the American scene. New York Magazine says he's the embodiment of progress, advancement and hope. He's on the cover of Vogue, won a Grammy, is a bestselling author and even has a beer named after him. Please welcome Senator Barack Obama.”
The interview itself was more of the same, where Mr. Obama was portrayed as an ideal husband, a doting father who buys balloons and pizza for his daughter's birthday party, plus lots more. There were a couple of mentions of Iraq, but not a single tough question in an interview that slavishly focused on the positive.
That upbeat message, which is an essential part of the senator's appeal, is one of the mainstays of Ms. Winfrey's persona. The two also share a similar relationship with white Americans.
“She is someone who does seem to have transcended race in particular ways. . . . Whites see her as non-threatening,” said Ms. Harris, who said that the same holds true for Mr. Obama.
Yet despite all the hype, the question remains whether viewers who take Ms. Winfrey's advice on what charity deserves their money or what high-heeled shoes to wear will listen to her when it comes to choosing their next political leader.
“I think what she can do is bring him to an audience that wouldn't have considered him before, but in the end, I don't think that simply Oprah's influence will be enough get him elected,” said Tarshia Stanley, who specializes in black American culture and the media at Spelman College in Atlanta.
“She is incredibly powerful in terms of popular culture, but I would say that her power in political policy is not the same thing,” she said. “I'm not sure people would vote for him because Oprah tells them to.”
members can read movies review going back to 1977.
39
