Obama - The Unfolding Story

impactplayer · (#1 (**permalink**))

Beating Hillary will take an act of God---or Oprah

WHEN Oprah Winfrey speaks, America listens. Now she has embarked on her greatest sales mission yet: persuading Americans to support Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic party's presidential nomination.

Winfrey told CNN's Larry King that her decision to endorse Mr Obama was "no small thing". "I'm really not a political person" she said. "I believe that he offers a fresh opportunity of hope for America. So that's why I'm in it. I probably won't ever be in it [politics] again."

The TV star's support will begin to pay off today as more than 1,500 guests gather for an Obama fundraiser at Winfrey's Promised Land estate in California. Stevie Wonder will entertain a guest-list that includes many of Hollywood's greatest African-American stars, including Jamie Foxx, Will Smith and Halle Berry.

Though the event will raise more than $3 million for the Obama campaign, Winfrey concedes that "My money isn't going to make any difference. My value to him - my support of him - is probably worth more than any other cheque that I could write."

The details of Winfrey's support have not been finalised, but she is considering a "broader role" in the campaign, possibly making speeches around the country supporting Mr Obama or hosting other events with influential female and African-American leaders.

Winfrey's support allows Mr Obama to appeal directly to Hillary Clinton's core constituency. Mrs Clinton has counted on winning overwhelming support from women voters whose desire to elect America's first female president will, she hopes, prove more important than any policy differences women voters may have with her.

If Mr Obama is to erode Mrs Clinton's lead in the polls he badly needs to make inroads among women voters. Since 77 per cent of the Oprah audience is female, Ms Winfrey's endorsement could scarcely be more significant. Winfrey, 53, rose from an impoverished childhood in rural Mississippi to become the most important and influential woman on American television, building a business empire that Forbes magazine estimates to be worth $1.5 billion.

Her eponymous TV show is watched by more than eight million people every afternoon, while her magazine has more than 15 million readers a month.

She has already demonstrated that she can have an impact on the political scene. When George Bush appeared on the Oprah show in September 2000 he trailed Al Gore by ten points and was particularly unpopular with women voters.

After speaking candidly about his struggle with alcohol and his devotion to his wife and daughters Mr Bush eroded much of Mr Gore's advantage with women voters. Pollsters called it the "Oprah Bounce".

Winfrey's endorsement highlights the dilemma faced by many female voters - especially black women, who are more likely to vote Democratic than any other group. Should they support the candidate hoping to be the first African-American president or the one who would be the first female?

WINFREY'S MAGIC TOUCH GUARANTEES SUCCESS

OPRAH Winfrey has become a marketing phenomenon. Her book club, for instance, changed America's reading habits. Each book she featured could expect to sell more than a million copies - unprecedented numbers for literary fiction or memoir. When she recently revived the club, concentrating upon classic fiction rather than contemporary novels, sales were no less staggering.

"She's a woman who can get millions of Americans to buy Anna Karenina. That's not an easy task! So who knows what she can do in politics? This is different from your average celebrity endorsement" said Professor Robert Thompson, an expert in popular culture at Syracuse University.

"For many people Oprah is a lifestyle, not a TV show."

Oprah may be putting her career on the line but this is what I like to see, us working together for a common goal for once. Black millionaires and billionaires throwing thier money behind Obama. Even if he loses its good to know AA's can come together for a common cause for once.

YouTube - Dr. Boyce Breaks Down Obama and Oprah vs. Hillary Clinton

CashMoney · (#2 (**permalink**))

Good luck to Obama but I doubt it will make a palatble difference. Most AAs would vote for him anyway

mike pain · (#3 (**permalink**))

most democrats that is......

Gmahogany. · (#4 (**permalink**))

I think it's funny that Black Brits fancy themselves experts on everything having to do with AA's they know how we're gonna vote, they know that we hate Obama cause he speaks standard English,lol, they know more about us than us. Who knew?

Anyway, I think Oprah's support of Obama is going to help him immensely, both from a fundraising standpoint and from a general support standpoint, PARTICULARLY among Black women. If she had supported Hillary(whom she most likely would have supported if Obama wasn't running cause she loves Hillary from what I can tell) that would have been major. Oprah says read a particular book, mofos go read that book,lol. Her opinion is respected by a large swath of folks, and that's a fact.

Beyond that, he's needs any advantage he can get, because though I agree that IF he wins the Democratic nomination, MOST AA's would vote for him, if only because the other options would be totally putrid, plus most AA's are Democrats, BUT, he has to win the Dem nomination FIRST, and that's not even close to a forgone conclusion.

National polls don't mean much because we don't have national primaries here. Mofos have to win primary by primary, state by state, or else they won't get the chance to be an option on a National/Presidential ballot. In other words, sure, if Obama gets the nomination and he is running against: Rudy Guliani, Fred Thompson or some other Republican, Obama would get the overwhelming majority of the AA vote. That's a no brainer. In these Democratic primaries, though, he's not running against people that BLack folks can't stand or would never consider voting for(like Guilinani), quite the opposite,actually.

In these primaries, Obama is running against at least 2 candidates that many AA's find attractive,Hillary and John Edwards. It's not like it is on the National/presidential level where he would be running against people that no AA's would find palatable or acceptable, so there would basically be no competiton for the Black vote, or even some past Democratic primaries, where the other Dem candidates were people that AA's could take or leave, didn't particularly know, like, etc.

In overwhelmingly white states, like Iowa, right now at least, Clinton and Edwards are leading, so his chances there aren't so hot. In the large Black population state, of South Carolina, Clinton still leads him by about 16 points,among Black voters which isn't catastrophic, but Edwards ALSO has some BLack support, in SC, so that means that Clinton and Obama could split the Black vote, and Edwards could sneak in. Beyond that, as high as Hillary's negatives are(questions about her electability), polls say that most AA's in that state see Obama as being less electable than Hillary. That' can affect who people vote for, even if they may like a particular candidate.

So dude has a lot to overcome,(not that it's not doable), and Oprah's support is something that anyone of his white competitors would LOVE to have, and that's real.

impactplayer · (#5 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by CashMoney

Good luck to Obama but I doubt it will make a palatble difference. Most AAs would vote for him anyway

He will probably get black vote but I think the point of the article was to help him with women voters not black voters. Oprah is probably more influential in the female community than the black communty.

impactplayer · (#6 (**permalink**))

Quote:

I think it's funny that Black Brits fancy themselves experts on everything having to do with AA's they know how we're gonna vote, they know that we hate Obama cause he speaks standard English,lol, they know more about us than us. Who knew?

True..I think from thier comments thier still confused about the differences between primaries and general elections. Oprah is extremely influential in America and has more crossover appeal than Obama. Shes already lightweight played kingmaker in 2000 when Bush came on her show, he got a bounce from it and eventually came from behind and won. Now she is going as far as endorsing a candidate. Itll be interesting to see what happens.

Gmahogany. · (#7 (**permalink**))

She could help him with women voters in general(which he needs help with), but she could also help him with Black women voters,(who are also part of the Black community/Black vote,btw), who may be on the fence about whether to vote for Obama or Clinton, or even leaning towards Clinton. I can just imagine what tack this discussion would be taking, had she thrown her support to Hillary,instead of Obama,lol, in spite some of folks trying to act like it's no biggie that she didn't do that.

impactplayer · (#8 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gmahogany.

I can just imagine what tack this discussion would be taking, had she thrown her support to Hillary,instead of Obama,lol, in spite some of folks trying to act like it's no biggie that she didn't do that.

LOL....That would be interesting. The crazy thing is that really would have killed his chances from any standpoint you look it..

Gmahogany. · (#9 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by impactplayer

True..I think from thier comments thier still confused about the differences between primaries and general elections. Oprah is extremely influential in America and has more crossover appeal than Obama. Shes already lightweight played kingmaker in 2000 when Bush came on her show, he got a bounce from it and eventually came from behind and won. Now she is going as far as endorsing a candidate. Itll be interesting to see what happens.

I think they are confused too, which is why one should be careful about commenting on things outside of their own experience/environment. The primary process is a whole different animal than the General Election. It's way more local and personal, and way more difficult to navigate in many ways(way more based on loyalty,who people already have relationships with/are comfortable with, etc, way less differences between the candidates making people rely even more on who they already know/like/feel comfortable with, etc), than some broad,general Black/White extreme,clearcut diffrences/choices like the General election will be.

It's like in the NFL, when one conference is really competitive and tough. If a team is able to make it through the hellacious competition in their conference without getting knocked off, and get to the Superbowl, their chances are really good, cause the other Conference may be weak, but they gotta get through that Conference play first, and that is sometimes more than a notion.

Gmahogany. · (#10 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by impactplayer

LOL....That would be interesting. The crazy thing is that really would have killed his chances from any standpoint you look it..

Exactly. He's from CHicago, basically, Chicago is her adopted home, her not supporting him would have spoken VOLUMES. Furthermore, because she's supporting him she's NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY OTHER CANDIDATES ON HER SHOW, that is major. He's going to have exclusive access to her viewers during the Campaign, and be able to come on there any time he wants, more than likely. That's not a bad setup. Larry King asked her months ago who she was supporting because he knew people wanted to know, and she wouldn't say, though she did say she liked Obama. So this is major.

defyfear · (#11 (**permalink**))

^^Chicago maybe key and those in Chicago establishment for such a decision.

Just an opinion

I dont know how Hillary a big shot lawyer from Chicago can 'just follow her heart' to marry a 'hillbilly' from Arkansas.

She must have had one big 'tender' heart.

The First Ladies of the United States - Hillary Rodham Clinton

Usually marriages of northern girls of branded family name marrying southern boy scouts is very odd and irregular, I am thinking Hillary knew she could only do so little if she went back to Chicago. If she did she would have to do what Obama did including running in African American districts of Chicago which her family probably disapproved of.

Oprah must have took the spot she was eagerly seeking before and that establishment prompted her to perhaps support Obama since she states she is not 'political'.

defyfear · (#12 (**permalink**))

Clinton Joins Black Ministers In Chicago - Videos - WMAQ

These are her 'old friends' say the media.

Bill Clinton coming to Chicago sushi joint to raise money :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Lynn Sweet

Obama's Chicago friends.

I think since Hillary did not deal with 'it' the first time around, 'it' has come back to hurt her.

Gmahogany. · (#13 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by defyfear

^^Chicago maybe key and those in Chicago establishment for such a decision.

Just an opinion

I dont know how Hillary a big shot lawyer from Chicago can 'just follow her heart' to marry a 'hil