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THE POWER OF O. Kate Sheppard points out that Obama could see a bump from the endorsement of Oprah, who is arguably one of the country's most powerful opinion leaders. Chris Rose explained this unique power in his humorous essay (via Ezra) on how he couldn't talk about his book on Oprah's show:
You probably don't need to understand a lot about the publishing industry to know that if Oprah says the name of your book on TV, you sell about a million copies by nightfall.And if she says she likes your book, you can buy a Lear jet and move to Belize by the end of the business day.
The thing here is that she has the power to make people spend money, but the question is whether she can actually do what activists, politicians, and other celebrities have all failed or had marginal success at: getting people to vote. I'm frankly a little disturbed by the influence Oprah has over people. By having candidates "sit on her couch and chat," as Kate put it, she's actually encouraging people to evaluate candidates based on their charisma and personalities instead of thinking about what policies they support. That's a method I don't think is particularly valuable.
--Kay Steiger
COMMENTS (4)
she's actually encouraging people to evaluate candidates based on their charisma and personalities instead of thinking about what policies they support. That's a method I don't think is particularly valuable.
I hate this argument. Most (read "all") people are not qualified to judge policies in all relevant fields. Short of simply holding their votes in proxy for pundits to promise as the pundits wish, what are voters supposed to do?
Posted by: SomeCallMeTim | September 7, 2007 11:43 AM
she's actually encouraging people to evaluate candidates based on their charisma and personalities instead of thinking about what policies they support.
I made this case over at Kate's entry because I'm equally disturbed by her influence.
Celebrities like Oprah are low information voters: I doubt she or any celebrity could talk at length about the positions of the candidates they support. And in that way, she's not very different than the average American. It's more a personality contest to see who the Hollywood Kool Kidz get behind.
Oprah’s supporting Obama more as a friend but then she’s not just any friend: The people who watch her show and who read her magazine and anyone else who is influenced by what she says and does will substitute her judgment for their own. That does not contribute toward a more informed electorate.
This isn't just another selection in the Oprah Book Club that we're talking about. The stakes are much higher and I doubt she realizes it.
Posted by: corinne | September 7, 2007 12:45 PM
This isn't just another selection in the Oprah Book Club that we're talking about. The stakes are much higher and I doubt she realizes it.
You really don't think she realizes that who is President of the United States is very important???
What makes you think she is an idiot?
Posted by: peep | September 7, 2007 4:44 PM
What makes you think she is an idiot?
Your words, not mine. I think she doesn't stop to consider the consequences of her choices.
Take the California recall. Who appeared on her show? Her good friend Maria Shriver--and Maria's husband. It would have been one thing if only Maria had been the guest. But having Arnold on as well left the impression that Oprah was endorsing his candidacy. She may not have been--we'll never know--but when there were 100+ candidates and only one appeared on the Oprah show....
Posted by: corinne | September 7, 2007 10:56 PM