Oprah

[historian]

Does anyone know where she stands politically? She is hardly ever mentioned when it comes to politics - I never watch her but i believe she has a huge audience and can make them do anything (remember hamburger scare?)

[wickerwoman]

1. I think she's centrist, leaning Dem.

I remember reading Bush asked her to go to Afghanistan and do propoganda among "liberated" Muslim women and she refused.

On the other hand, she supported invading Iraq even though she invited on some experts who told her there weren't any WMDs.

[Piperay]

2. Oprah helped put Arnie the Groper

into office here in CA, she also let chimpy smooch her and thereby gave him a boost toward the WH. I think Oprah's politics are whatever benefits her the most at the time. I used to like her but the Arnie 'thing' finished that off. :mad:

[tishaLA]

8. That was more because of Maria though

Oprah has known her for YEARS and she did it as a friend.

Oprah is a good centrist democrat. She's just a rich centrist Democrat.

[Lindacooks]

25. If she did it out of friendship with one person

then, in my opinion, that's even worse. You don't try to get a facist moron elected just because you like one person. If Oprah is a Democrat, she hides it well.

[RapidCreek]

3. She was a very liberal Democrat until she "arrived"

In fact many of her earlier shows were very politically charged to that end. After she started pulling down 85+ million a year whining about the plight of the poor and disenfranchized she decided that she didn't want to pay the taxes which help that segment of our society. Most recently she has been a vocal proponant of rescinding estate taxes. Now she sticks with innocous fluff ..... "Do you know if your teenage daughter engages in anal sex?" when she isn't subjecting Jerry Springer rejects to the rantings of Dr. Phil.

RC

[theHandpuppet]

4. Exactly...

Oprah *used* to have interesting political topics on her shows and appeared to be a liberal Dem -- until she started gobbling up the millions like a hungry hog at the trough. There's obviously not enough money in the world to satisfy her deep pit of psychological need, and she spends it in ways that to me, personally, border on the outright obscene. But most of the faaaaabulously wealthy do, IMHO, including her pals like Arnie.

I guess that's what a billion or so does to a person. "The love of money is the root of all evil." Ain't it the truth.

[Gothic Sponge]

5. What!

Money corrupting someone? Never! ;-)

[anarchy1999]

10. Read all about her 50th birthday gala.

http://images.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200402/tows_past_20040206.jhtml

just go to google and enter in oprahs 50th birthday party and see what comes up.

[redqueen]

22. This was actually cause for a flamewar in the Lounge

I think America is the 'waste is defensible' epicenter of the universe.

[Festivito]

6. Condi is considered a friend.

There are not many billionaire black women to be friends with in the US, where someone as articulate, active and smart as Oprah could just comfortably hang out.

Oprah came out against the war.

She also had Condi on in a heartwarming fluff show.

If you had so much money that your only concern from day to day is how much more than just more than enough money is being taken by the people who treat you nicely day in and day out, and your peers are busy political and Hollywood hard-workers who have no time, you might avoid pissing off one of the few buddies you can hang with comfortably.

I think Oprah is a quiet Democrat.

[Blasphemer]

9. Quiet Democrat...

Just Delurking to chime in on the Oprah issue. I rarely watch her these days but I do distinctly remember that when Al Gore was on, at the end she pointed to him and mouthed "Vote for Him". I'd say that she's definitely a Dem but certainly she tries to give the impression of being apolitical and thus is an equal opportunity butt-kisser.

[newyawker99]

17. Hi Blasphemer!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Blasphemer]

19. Thanks...

Thanks for the welcome newyawker99 :)

[1songbird]

12. My! My! What an interesting statement you just made.

You wrote "There are not many billionaire black women to be friends with in the US, where someone as articulate, active and smart as Oprah could just comfortably hang out." I will just say that you shouldn't believe media stereotypes. This is really an outrageous statement that you made. Think about it.

[noiretextatique]

13. what's so outrageous about it?

i'm not a billionaire, and i have trouble finding like-minded people to hang out with :shrug:

[1songbird]

14. The last time I checked you don't have to be a

billionaire to be smart, acticulate, and active.

[noiretextatique]

20. the poster never said that

what the poster said is that there aren't a lot of black, female billionaires :shrug:
i believe the poster ascribed the attributes of being smart, acticulate, and active to oprah, the person, not oprah the billionaire.

[Festivito]

18. You are correct. Thank you.

It is insensitive for me to make a sweeping statement about black people promulgating a stereotypical view. Oprah crosses skin-color boundaries as well as rich-poor boundaries for which she should be, and is, lauded. Thank you for making me re-address this, and for doing it nicely. There are many talented, able, and wealthy black women, and I know some personally.

I think my point can be taken even without noting color. That people who gain a lot of money find friendship a strain, due to the disparity of wealth.

Stepping on eggshells, it might be more sensitive and correct to say that both Condi and Oprah grew up as blacks in an often arrogantly white America and would know things that the rest of white America would not surmise. It may not make a friendship, but it certainly should make for a more comfortable and enjoyable relationship. The kind one would hate to lose, and would rather stay quiet than express a few extra conflicted opinions.

[noiretextatique]

23. there are NOT a lot of black, female billionaires

and frankly, i don't think your statement was 'insensitive' at all. oprah is in this position to be 'friends' with condi because of her power and her money...the fact that they are both black women is secondary, imho. why? because condi grew up privileged, and oprah did not. they may share some common experiences as high-acheiving black women, but not necessarily a similar experience growing up.

i agree that people who gain a lot of money and power may find friendship a strain. and i don't think it's insenstive at all to suggest that may be harder for a black person, when such a disproportionately high percetange of black people are STILL living in poverty in this country.
that's just reality.

[buycitgo]

7. what a SKUNK! remember when * KISSED her?

THAT little morality play swung public opinion back toward sluggo, right after Gore had gained serious momentum, and a nice lead in the polls

I remember vividly how the media just SWOONED over that display of his manliness, sexiness, niceness, attractiveness, wonderfulness.

I think that was the deathknell for Gore, as the media recovered its voice in favor of Bush.

think back......it was PRECISELY before the week of Oprah that Gore started getting a slight bit of positive media coverage, as he was doing well in the polls

remember how they SAVAGED him after his acceptance speech, in defiance of public approval? (I'll always remember that creep David Broder's column about the speech, which he clobbered, even saying he almost fell asleep during!), then, finally relented, when they realized that lots of people actually liked him, and, herdlike, started giving him a brief window of positive coverage.

After the kiss, though, it all changed back

anybody else remember it that way?

[hexola]

11. GWMDBush getting smoochy with O

[hippiegranny]

15. she does not look thrilled by the attention

and it looks like he is trying to give her a wet willy, not a kiss!

[tjwash]

16. She is an unadulterated...

...egomaniac. And I am getting tired of seeing her mug on the cover of her magazine everytime I go to the checkout stand.

[shoopnyc123]

21. Repub...

Her "boyfriend" has a PR Lobbying firm with Armstrong Williams, (another embarrasment for us block folk), I forgot his name...but she plays a good game!

[phillybri]

24. Good VP pick for Kerry....

...I'm not kidding...