Oprah Winfrey was greeted by thunderous applause last weekend when she made stops in Iowa and South Carolina. Oh, and Barack Obama was there, too. With all the attention Winfrey received, one would think she was the campaigning politician and not Obama.
As Obama begins his campaigning for the upcoming primary elections, none other than Oprah Winfrey has pledged her support. Obama has been hyping up her involvement in his campaign since last July.
There’s good reason for the hype Obama has been creating. According to Nielsen Ratings, Winfrey’s show brings in nearly 50 million viewers weekly. That’s a significant number of potential voters she can reach and influence.
I have nothing against Winfrey. She is a strong, credible and wise woman who has broken barriers and astounded millions for nearly two decades. However, I’m not too comfortable with the fact that more people in this nation would rather listen to Winfrey speak than a potential presidential candidate.
The applause and cheering that broke out when she took the podium was deafening. The cheers that Obama received were substantial, but not nearly as powerful.
I wonder how Obama feels about being shadowed by his celebrity counterpart. Or what it’s like watching people walk out of your own campaign rally before you even begin speaking. Obama delivered a powerful speech, as he usually does. But when attendees were asked how they felt about the rally, they gushed over their affection for Winfrey. Obama’s presence almost seemed like a side note.
There were still thousands who listened to Obama speak. The Los Angeles Times reported that many audience members who were on the fence about Obama’s campaign were now on his side.
It wasn’t his speech that swayed them, though. It was the fact that he had Winfrey’s support. Many even commented on her potential as Obama’s vice-presidential candidate if he wins the primary elections.
This only solidifies the fact that we live in a completely celebrity-obsessed world. If a celebrity wears it, we buy it. If a celebrity suggests it, we take their word for it. Because Oprah Winfrey said so, many Americans are now supporting Obama.
On the plus side, maybe Winfrey’s involvement in a campaign of this magnitude will help convince non-voters to take a look at this year’s primaries. I can only hope that if Winfrey’s presence does get them hooked, they make their own decisions come election time.
Obama is a lucky man to have someone of such credibility and celebrity supporting him. There is nothing wrong with Winfrey supporting someone whose views she agrees with.
However, I do see a problem with the public taking the easy route out and blindly supporting something without looking into it for themselves.
Jana Owens is a senior communications major and a contributing writer for the Daily Forty-Niner.
