I think it would at least be more honest.
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Oprah would not be my choice for economic and science reasons. I personally don’t have a problem with the fact that she built a successful business on vapid appeals to pathos (other than her promotion of multiple charlatans) insofar as her fans understood that was what they were buying. And I feel that the actual good work she’s done counts for something.
But I do feel Scalzi made a pretty good point.
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Oprah running for President would be another step down the sorry path of blending news, celebrity, and politics into one ugly mess.
How about instead of running for President, she runs for Mayor of Chicago instead, and learns what it really takes to run a political campaign, and how to balance all of the competing interests into positive change?
My guess is that Oprah would relish the idea of being a power broker behind the scenes, but would loathe the public approbation that a national candidacy would bring.
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Well, she’s also known for founding multiple charity foundations and working to in the organization and promotion of still others.
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Oprah would be my first choice amongst anyone that isn’t already a public servant but I’m super troubled by the trend of celebrities becoming elected officials.
For every “senator Gopher” that seemed to do a great job we get a Sonny Bono that was just looking to feather their nest in perpetuity.(let’s face it without Cher his only income was from the 1960’s )
However I love the thought of Oprah going full Harpo on sessions, Ryan and McConnell
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And let’s not forget that Oprah, like many of the very wealthy, likes to play up her “bootstrappin’” and play down her helping hands.
In her case, her mom very much was a mess and that household was a broken home… But her dad, who she got help from, was a city councilman and it sorta looks to me like he helped pull some strings and get her some early-career access and help that got her into media and through college.
It’s nothing like inheriting a billion dollars, of course, but it’s still not the same thing as the sob story she gives where it’s all about her drug-addicted brother dying and being desperately poor until she got rich… somehow? I’ve only found articles from very early in her career where she addresses the real version, and details are scant, and it just bugs me that she’s taking credit for when other people helped her up, even if it wasn’t all handed to her on a silver plate.
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Celebrity presidents aren’t as much of a problem as people are making out here. After all, Washington was well liked and considered a good choice.
Oprah at least can run a successful business without leaving a trail of bankruptcies behind her. She is the head of a massive and profitable organization and seems to be less evil than most even if a bit misguided at times.
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Ventura was level-headed only compared to Trump. Jesse is the reason we have conceal and carry in Minnesota.
Granted we also have a light rail, but I think that would have happened eventually.
Either way…no.
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I have (unconfirmed) memories that Obama did, at the very least, make several feints toward the same type of bootstrapism.
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Have we explored the idea of running Terry Crews playing Comacho in the republican primary?
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Ah the good old puritan calvinist/prosperity theology at work in the US again:
Got money = does something right = is right
This logic worked in Trumps favor too.
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I’m absolutely not fine with Oprah running. If she’s running against a Republican I’ll still vote for her.
But she should at least see what it’s like to be a Senator or Congressperson first. Or much better, Mayor of a big city or Governor.
I don’t want on the job training for my surgeons or my Presidents.
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Condoleezza “WMDs in Iraq” Rice?
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I prefer the rich paying more taxes, instead of funding well-published charity pet projects. Charity is a bandaid, not a cure.
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Two words bubbled up from my memory this morning as one example: his hypothetical, shiftless black non-voter, Cousin Pookie.
The “Cousin Pookie” narrative is never mentioned to congratulate young Black men on graduating form college or for landing his first job. Instead this fictitious cousin of the Black voter has been painted mostly by the first Black president as lazy and shiftless. Basically, he is a man-child, who hangs out on couches all day and doesn’t vote. And just like Charles Barkley’s “unintelligent Blacks,” who keep the community from being successful, according to the POTUS, Cousin Pookie is the reason why Black people are not being taken seriously in the political sphere. Despite the appearance of familiarity, Cousin Pookie isn’t really here to help President Obama connect with the community, but rather to help him serve the community a slice of the poundcake speech in disguise. Talk about a dog whistle…
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I read it. Even going by that list that ignores the many good things Obama accomplished, Obama is still better than Dubya.
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[Self-deleted for veering completely off-topic.]
I still like Condaleeza Rice as a candidate for jail.
For Michelle Obama, let her do a stint in a State Senate and then the US Senate at least, like Barack.
We really can’t have on the job training for our presidents.
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Seconded. Her and all the other murderous criminals who ginned up a war on false pretenses.
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Entirely apart from her involvement in the W. administration’s “adventure” in Iraq, Rice is an academician, a very good amateur musician, and overall kind of a private person. She’s never shown any interest (or talent) for pursuing elected office, and I can’t imagine she’d change her mind at this point.
