On Oprah

I was scrolling through the video section of RealClearPolitics.com today and decided that I was bored enough to watch clips from a Barack Obama rally (as if being at one in person wasn't scarring enough).  The first clip begins with his wife, Michelle, speaking.  Fair enough- I would hope that my spouse speaks at my presidential rallies when I run for president.  But the second clip is Oprah.

Now, I love the talk show diva just as much as the next guy, but after watching a few minutes of the YouTube video I can now say that I prefer her in front of an audience watching Tom Cruise jump up and down on her couch.  Simply put, Oprah is out of her element.  What expertise does Oprah have that suddenly makes her a persuasive political pundit?  Just because millions of Americans tune into your show each day does not qualify you to be an expert in presidential politics.

The sad thing is, however, that Oprah is not alone in her attempt to use star power to influence voters this election (or previous elections).  The scary thing, on the other hand, is that their star power actually works.  Although Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg are certainly entitled to their opinions, I'm not sure they are any more entitled to grandstand on national television for their favorite candidate any more than I am (and I'm relegated to this here blog).