The 2020 race for the presidency doesn’t formally begin until after the 2018 midterm elections. However, a head start sometimes helps. In the age of Trump, America’s left wing looks to no one to lead in particular. The dems lack “the one,” the candidate to not only rally fellow democrats and prevent infighting, but the candidate to beat Trump in the electoral college (that is, if he’s still around by then *Mueller*cough). And the case can be made for Uncle Joe, mind you. Still, even with his name in the hat I don’t see it dissuading some other hopeful liberals — like Senator Sanders (who already appears to be running at times), or like the qualified bulldog badass Senator Kamala Harris of California. As we all know, a year after Trump’s election, Trump’s victory was a massive blow to the democratic establishment. He beat the almighty (tawdry?) Clinton machine.
On paper, the prospect of Oprah Winfrey clinching the democratic nomination and eventually toppling Trump is sweet, sweet, poetic justice. It’s a fairytale ending to a nightmare, a deluge to the fiery storm. The republican establishment would hate a President Winfrey almost as much as they would’ve abhorred a President Rodham Clinton. Because, let’s face it, there’s almost nobody more contemptible to the GOP base than the Clintons — especially Hillary. Oprah would be the first woman elected to the highest office. She’d be the second African American. But she wouldn’t be the first reality TV star…which begs the question: Is America willing to, and ready for (yet again) to elect another TV star into the Oval?
As the trite saying goes: My heart says yes, but my brain says no. Is Oprah the best candidate the democrats can offer? Absolutely not. The idea alone sometimes appears like a desperate move. I’ve seen enough football to know that a hail mary is often a last resort— and they very seldom work well. The solution is clear. Aaron Rodgers must be Oprah’s VP pick. Jokes aside, the Oprah for president possibility mustn’t hang over the heads of democrats like a shiny beautiful object. We mustn’t bite the bait. It’d be foolish to allow Oprah to run as a democrat for the sole reason to spite Trump because she too is from the television. We are surely better than that.
Winfrey undoubtedly brought down the house at the 2018 Golden Globes with her resounding speech, upon accepting the Cecil B. Demille lifetime achievement award. Not at all a stranger to paving new roads, Oprah is the first black female ever receive the award. And again, her speech didn’t disappoint; she’s an outstanding orator. Brandishing the trophy in one hand, Oprah boldly stood at the podium before her peers in the entertainment industry to deliver what we could look back on as “the spark.” You can see the speech here and you can read the full transcript here.
Oprah brought the exalting crowd to their feet, at one point mid-speech. She managed to bring some of the audience members to tears. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. The Golden Globes is a boozy comfort zone for the queen of tv. Can this media mogul effectively stroke the hearts and minds of middle America? That’s yet to be seen. Fundraising wouldn’t be an issue whatsoever. Name recognition is in the bag, and has been for decades. The crux is that I don’t believe Oprah is willing to leave everything she worked for behind.
Oprah is a self-made billionaire whose net worth is valued at 2.8B. She is the CEO of her own television network; she is a part owner and brand ambassador for Weight Watchers; she is making appearances in movies again; she is still raking in tons of dough for her work on her long-running talk show. Why give up a more than comfortable life for one of the most demanding and stressful jobs in the world? Is sticking it to one guy worth it that much? And is that something the democrats want to gamble on? I sweat at the thought.
Radio host and friend of Trump, Howard Stern, put it to Donnie blankly: “Why would you want to be the president of the United States? You’re not going to be beloved, it’s going to be a f*cking nightmare in your life.”
Even if Oprah won a presidential election, her public image wouldn’t ever be the same due to the scrutiny of the office. Political enemies would be made in no time. Favorability numbers would naturally take a dive. And she’d be judged for the smallest of smalls. If she changed her hairstyle, the GOP would twist it into a scandal.
The democrats can do better than Oprah. Don’t get me wrong, I was internally screaming YAS, QUEEN during her Golden Globes speech. Snaps galore. GET IT. The thought of a President Oprah Winfrey is too much a sweet idea in LaLa Land. Additionally, we can’t allow a singular magic moment in Hollywood, of all places, ignite a risky presidential campaign. Someone else will hopefully bring the end to the Trump administration. Although, I’d be happy to eat my OWN words.
Hugo is an actor and singer based out of Washington D.C. His two novels will be out on shelves near you soon! Follow him on Instagram for photography (@hugosnaps) and on Twitter for humor and odd observations (@hugosaysgo). Happy reading. Please recycle :)
