Oprah for President 2020

Of course it would not be a cakewalk.

Oprah's attractiveness comes not from being a woman -- though that certainly helps -- or from being black -- though that certainly also helps in this environment -- but rather from her well-known commitment to issues of fairness and empowerment, her legendary generosity, and her sense of shared responsibility -- an almost noblesse oblige. She does not seem (from what little I know) to be venal or greedy or self-aggrandizing like her predecessor.

She represents, in other words, a moral and ethical embodiment of ideals sadly lacking from recent political races.

Which is exactly why she would be a fool to run.

Just what we need - another unqualified celebrity for president.

Bouchard's remarks must be taken with a grain of salt. He makes his living promoting Democratic candidates. He would not make a negative remark about a potential client.

Oprah has, as far as I know, no knowledge or experience which would qualify her for the office. I have nothing against the woman, but don't care how nice she seems to be - she's not qualified.

I came across this entry in an old comment thread.

Diane Burrell 12/4/2015

In the beginning I thought it was outright racism - "Oh my god, he's BLACK, we can't have a BLACK president! Blacks are BAD and it's just putting a n***** in the White House!"

But I came to realize that there was an astronomical amount of denial involved. The reaction to Obama was so full of outrage and fury and a kind of visceral hatred that went beyond simply bigotry, that there had to be more behind it.

Then one day, arguing over it with a couple of incredibly furious menfolk, I realized that they weren't offended because the president was a black man. They were offended that he wasn't a white man.

There's a difference.

They were offended that anyone other than a white man could aspire to be president, could dare to run for the office...and would have the unmitigated GALL to win. That was a major betrayal by the entire country, that couldn't seem to grasp that the president was always supposed to be a white man. Only white men deserved it.

If a woman gets elected, she's going to experience the exact same kind of fury, outrage and hatred, and it won't be because the president will be a woman. It will be because it won't be a white man.

Yeah, right now it's racism. But it will next be misogyny.

Obviously the majority of Americans voted for Obama...twice. The majority of Americans may vote for a woman next. The group that's the most offended by this is the same group that's getting smaller every year...entitled older white male voters. They're not the majority anymore, and it terrifies them. And they don't handle fear well. It tends to come out as something uglier.

That's a bit self-contradictory. Poor Burrell tries to rationalize and minimize racism by claiming that it wasn't racism, then offering an alternative reason which is a textbook definition of racism. Not very well done.

I hope your post wasn't intending to show that my post illustrated misogynism. I made the same remarks a couple of years ago when the idea was going around about George Clooney as a totally unqualified presidential candidate.

I want a woman president.  I want another Black president.  I want a Hispanic president.

Not because there's any reason to expect them to be any better than the usual OWM candidates.  There's no reason to expect that.

I want it to PROVE to people that color/race/gender do not matter.  To expand the pool of available candidates to get the best available person, regardless of c/r/g.

You don't elect some random non-OWM to the office just to prove a point.

You want a black woman, consider Kamala Harris.

You want Hispanic, try Xavier Becerra.

You can prove a point without settling for a celebrity.

"Celebrities" who run multi-billion dollar multi-national corporations over decades have some relevant experience.

Particularly if they weren't "seeded" with $14m by their fathers. Particularly if they don't have a trail of bankruptcies in their wake. Particularly if they haven't been served with dozens of lawsuits over their business decisions and discriminatory practices. Particularly if they're not well-known to have conducted a string of extra-marital affairs followed by NDAs.

I wouldn't hold it against Oprah that she's a celebrity.

Celebrity isn't the issue.

A President creates an Administration, and it's the Administration that runs the executive branch. The President -- as we've seen with the past 4 Republicans to hold the office -- don't really have to do much except read a few speeches, appear at photo ops, and kiss a few ugly babies.

NoCoPilot wrote:

"Celebrities" who run multi-billion dollar multi-national corporations over decades have some relevant experience.

You know who you just described, right?

The Republican Party would be happy to see that you have fallen for their crap about needing a businessman for President. Running a government is nothing like running a business - often directly at odds.

NoCoPilot wrote:

I wouldn't hold it against Oprah that she's a celebrity.
Celebrity isn't the issue.

You're right that celebrity is not the issue, and I don't hold it against Oprah. Lack of knowledge and experience is the issue.

NoCoPilot wrote:

The President -- as we've seen with the past 4 Republicans to hold the office -- don't really have to do much except read a few speeches, appear at photo ops, and kiss a few ugly babies.

Yep. And if we continue to elect presidents who are unfit for the office, that's what we will have to contend with.

So she's half smart?

There is a movement "Michelle Obama for president".

Of course there is. People have so little imagination.

_Howard wrote:

You don't elect some random non-OWM to the office just to prove a point.

You want a black woman, consider Kamala Harris.

You want Hispanic, try Xavier Becerra.

You can prove a point without settling for a celebrity.

IDK I have Harris on Twitter and she gets on my nerves as a poor white person. Us po whites (especially the women) are the ones the Dems might have to reign in if they want the presidency again. Unless they can excite enough young people.

I still want Schwarzenegger for president.
Also, Oprah is originally from down here, there's no way she could get elected if you ask me. She wouldn't be taken seriously.

Jenni wrote:

I still want Schwarzenegger for president.

You're kidding, right?

He's not eligible anyway (foreign-born).

_Howard wrote:

Jenni wrote:

I still want Schwarzenegger for president.

You're kidding, right?

Not really. My personal affection for him aside he's a rather centrist conservative. He's for green stuff, doesn't deny climate change. He's willing to hear the argument for veganism- which is meaningful considering how short Cali is on water and how much animal ag takes their water. I've heard him speak, he's got the charisma and he's not batshit insane. He was against Trump. He had a hard life growing up, so at least he understands adversity more than someone like Bush or Trump or Romney or almost any Rep I can think of. He did cheat on Maria but he supports the kid he had with the maid. I know dads that don't support the kids they had in marriage never mind the ones they had with baby mamas. I know he has issues, so does anyone who reaches that level of politics. I mean, they aren't letting Mississippi housewives be president for a reason. But yeah, of the options that would legit make it to the Oval Office- I like him. Of course I'd like Warren or Sanders more but they aren't gonna be let in if you ask me.
Yeah, I like him. What can I say? There's no accounting for me.
(Yes, I'm aware him being Austrian disqualifies him but considering that rule let in Trump but disqualified the much more sane Arnold I think it's time to rethink the rule.)

Fantasy is the only place where Schwarzenegger should be president.

Really funny movie, by the way.

Biden for president. Obama for vice president.

We don’t need a rerun of the noughts.

We need new blood, we need fresh thinking, we need that new president smell.

Also... I disagree that most of the resistance to Obama was racially based.  I think most people didn’t care.  I think people hated him because he was liberal and progressive and believed in fairness and equal opportunity.   Republicans don’t want fairness and equality.

They want white privilege, or more to the point, inherited privilege.