Oprah Winfrey delivered a good speech at the Golden Globes last night, leading to much speculation that she’s considering a run for President in 2020.
But don’t delude yourself into thinking that she’s the answer to America’s problems. Consider:
- The answer to one rich media celebrity with no political experience is not another rich media celebrity with no political experience.
- She’s a promoter of pseudoscience, woo, and she singlehandedly subjected the world to the likes of Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy’s anti-vax movement, and Dr. Oz.
- Her new-age schtick works fine on TV but has no place in government. Telling people to just believe in themselves and all their problems will be solved? There’s a ton of “let them eat cake” in that.
- For critics of Fake News and Alternative Facts, I have 4 words for you: “A Million Little Pieces.” Google it if you don’t remember.
- Yes, she would be better than Trump. But that’s a low bar to set. Literally ANYONE would be better than Trump. Heck, Kim Jong-effin’-un would be better than Trump.
I’m reminded of a quote from the 1995 film The American President:
“People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they’ll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership. They’re so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.”
The Democratic Party has some soul-searching to do on how it can move forward with new, dynamic leaders of tomorrow who can connect with the electorate. It’s been too hung up on the mistakes of the past since 2016, and there are few promising candidates waiting in the wings.
And don’t get me wrong, I think a lot of people LOVE the idea of a successful African-American woman beating Trump and shutting down all the racist, misogynist haters out there who would tell Democrats that it’s too risky to run any candidate who’s not a white male in 2020.
But, sorry to rain on your parade, folks, but Oprah’s not the answer. She should stick to her entertainment empire. Politics is enough of a reality TV show as it is.