Oprah's chance: With so much support, a run for president isn't a preposterous notion

Oprah Winfrey's speech Sunday night at the Golden Globes set Twitter aglow with folks calling for her to be the next Democratic presidential candidate.

And that's fine, the 2020 election is so far off and the thought of one television icon facing off against another for the office of the presidency is such an American idea that it makes sense that we as a nation would consider it -- in theory -- on what is largely an entertainment platform.

But are we serious?

That is not to say her speech was anything less than stellar. Oprah gave a rousing call to women, and to men, who are in a position to be role models to carry that lofty torch proudly and to be mindful of the millions of pairs of young eyes upon them as they navigate their careers.

Her touching recollection of being a young girl watching Sidney Poitier accept the first Academy Award for Best Actor bestowed upon a black actor and the juxtaposition of her now, the first black woman ever to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement award, moved millions.

And rightfully so. Hollywood and much of society right now is messily trying to wade through the mud of sex scandal after sex scandal, pitting mostly white men in powerful positions against numerous complaints from women in their fields who now say -- most of them credibly, so far -- that they were either sexually harassed or assaulted.

"Their time is up," Oprah said during her acceptance speech. And she repeated it amid raucous applause.

Women in Hollywood have taken the fight and the pursuit of lasting changes in the workplace and in society to the forefront, demanding not only safety and security from unwanted sexual advances, but things like equal pay and equal representation.

Oprah's rise from a TV news anchor to talk show host and film star/producer, to launching her own television network makes her the perfect front-runner to lead such a campaign.

And yet, despite past campaign organizers for President Obama suggesting she has a legitimate shot, it is at least reasonable to wonder, with so many polls pointing to the poor performance of the current president -- if you believe such data -- whether Oprah would fare better.

She has no more political experience than Trump did when his pursuit of the presidency began.

Then again, she doesn't bring to the equation any of the baggage 45 did either, so there is that.

Published in Editorials on January 8, 2018 9:55 PM