Roseanne Barr rips Oprah one regarding Barack Obama

[mamaste]

Originally Posted by Sunrider

This may be a very stupid question - I don't mean to insult anyone either - but does celeb-endorsement really make a difference in the elections in the US? It's so far away from how politics work here that I simply can't understand it..

It doesn't, but they like to think that it does. In many instances it has served to backfire instead of helping. Most Americans do pay attention to the issues, but tend to vote based on self-interest. Bush, for example, largely won on fear mongering.

I hope Rosie realizes that most Americans don't listen to her anymore than they'll listen to Oprah about this topic. Celebrities are the last people your average person wants political advice from. In case no one realized it, Barack Obama came on the national political scene after his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. It was then that Democrats began to ask him to run for President. I'm sure his appearances on Oprah have helped increase his profile, but he actually made a name for himself in Democratic circles before he was on her show. It seems like these people pop up all of a sudden, but inside their political party they're usually well known.

I'm offended at the suggestion that one needs X years of experience to be President. Those aren't the values this country was founded on. This is the very mentality that creates "slick" politicians with a lack of integrity. I personally believe that more people in this country are qualified to be President, but don't because of their education (or lack thereof), background, finances, etc. We've perverted politics to the point that very smart and capable people will never run for office because of the myth that experience breeds better politicians. It doesn't. Some of the best politicians this country has ever known were NOT seasoned politicians. Many of them were ordinary people who believed they could make a difference and did.

[Lily]

Originally Posted by sluce

I would like to see a Clinton/Obama ticket.

Me too!

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by sluce

I like Obama and was so impressed with him when he spoke at the Dem Convention back in 04. I watched him speak and thought how bright our nations future is with people like him coming up through the ranks. I do not, however, feel this is his time. I would like him to be a little more seasoned before he is my President. I would like to see a Clinton/Obama ticket. That is something I can get behind!

Yeah, that's my only gripe with Obama. I wish he was a little more seasoned as a politician. But, on the other hand, I think that might be what seems to be endearing him to a lot of people. I think a lot of people in the country, myself included, have become almost indifferent to politics, and politicians in general.

So, when somebody like Obama, and Bill Clinton before him, comes along and doesn't seem to be pushing 'politics as usual' people sit up and take notice.

And like I said in another thread, Hillary's biggest problem is that there are just too many people in America that have an entrenched hatred toward her. And it's been that way since Bill's first term.

And, yeah, I've been saying for months that I would LOVE Hillary and Obama to be on the same ticket.

[Palermo]

Originally Posted by kingcap72

Uh, where's Hillary's 35 years of political experience? Being married to the Governor of Arkansas and the President of the United States doesn't count as actual political experience. That's not to say Hillary hasn't been politically active, but that's not the same as political experience.

In fact, Hillary's entire career as a 'seasoned woman politician' is built on the fact that she's Mrs. Bill Clinton. Hillary would NEVER have been elected senator of N.Y. if it wasn't for Bill, and she wouldn't be a front-runner in the election if it wasn't for Bill. I mean, I like Hillary, but let's keep it real.

Agree with all you said, except for the I like Hillary part

[Chimera]

Great thread - fascinating to read what you guys in the US think about the election.

[Bellatheball]

Originally Posted by Sunrider

This may be a very stupid question - I don't mean to insult anyone either - but does celeb-endorsement really make a difference in the elections in the US? It's so far away from how politics work here that I simply can't understand it..

Actually, there was a poll a few months ago that asked that same question. If I remember correctly, celebrity endorsements actually hurt candidates.

[Bellatheball]

Will Oprah Help or Hinder Obama?

Thursday, December 13, 2007 4:12 PM

By: Armstrong Williams Article Font Size






The talk out on the presidential campaign trail this week is all about one thing: the “O-Factor.” Everybody is trying to figure out just how much Oprah Winfrey’s support for Barack Obama will help the man become president.




Some pundits believe that Oprah’s rallies last weekend in Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire will turn not only the 65,000 plus attendees into Obama voters, but perhaps persuade another 65,000 more to push the Barack button.


Other political experts are saying that the good will Obama gets from the Oprah tour will help him raise a few bucks, but little more than that. Still others point to Bruce Springsteen’s public campaign for John Kerry in 2004 and say that celebrity endorsements, like Oprah’s, are not only worthless, they may actually cause more harm than good for the candidate.

One can turn to the polling data and try to crunch the numbers to figure out the value of the O Factor, but even that is inconclusive.




A new CBS/New York Times national poll was released last week saying that only 1 percent of people were more likely to vote for Barack Obama because of his supporter, Oprah Winfrey. A full 80 percent of those polled in the survey said the Oprah factor made no difference for Obama's chances, and 14 percent even said she made them less likely to vote for him.

Furthermore, a survey done by the Pew Research Center in September showed that celebrity endorsements in general had little impact on voters. Three-fourths of the respondents said the endorsements of Tiger Woods, Jay Leno, Toby Keith, Angelina Jolie, Jon Stewart, Donald Trump, and others would make "no difference" in influencing their vote, the poll found.




But here’s the strange thing: Obama’s numbers in South Carolina rose after Oprah’s visit, at least according to InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion poll taken over the weekend. InsiderAdvantage’s Matt Towery said it’s obvious that Obama's numbers rose because of Winfrey's visit.




“Obama’s support among African-Americans rose a bit over the weekend, while Clinton’s dropped. This follows our poll of late last week in which there was a major shift in black voters towards Obama,” Towery said in a statement. “However, Obama’s white vote has not moved. Clearly the Oprah Winfrey visit to the state moved African-American voters.”


Whether these weekend polls and national surveys have any reliable data is difficult to say. But one can argue the value of the O Factor forever. The fact is that she is out there. Oprah Winfrey is taking time off from her regular life to campaign for a presidential candidate. And people are listening.


They are soaking up her words, attending her rallies, and reading her quotes. People trust Oprah more than Springsteen or some other liberal celebrity trying to spark their career or get some good PR. Oprah has it all — from money and fame, to likeability and trust. Her endorsement might just do something, but we’ll never really know even if Obama does become the next president of the United States.


More importantly than the value of the O Factor, and something that is rarely talked about, is the issue of endorsements overall.


Why do Americans trust the words of a third party who they don’t know personally?


Why do we allow people like Oprah to waive a magic wand and make (or even try to make) someone president?


While we can embrace Oprah’s encouraging us to buy books, get in shape, and empower women to their full potential, it seems strange that her endorsement would count for such an important decision as to who we will elect as president.


Contrast Oprah’s influence over Obama’s candidacy with the credibility that former President Bill Clinton brings to his wife’s campaign. As a popular two-term president, Clinton’s endorsement of his wife says a lot about her qualification to occupy the presidency.


If one were to reverse the situation, lets say, and have former President Clinton going around stumping for the next day time talk show host, people would laugh him out of the room. Not only has his personal life been the subject of ridicule, both while elected and afterwards, but hosting talk shows has never been his area of expertise.


The Bill Clinton example brings to light another factor in celebrity endorsements, namely proximity.


Hillary enjoys the presumption that in living in the White House and sharing pillow talk with the president, she gained invaluable experience in how to run the executive branch. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but the perception nonetheless persists.


Oprah, on the other hand, appears to be merely a recent acquaintance of Sen. Obama, and many voters may wonder what she knows about the senator that anyone else doesn’t know.


While Oprah’s likeability is likely to rub off on Obama, who is already a likeable character, likeability and electability are two different things entirely, as the examples of Howard Dean and Al Gore have shown. Though both achieved almost rock-star status early in their campaigns, they were not seen as having the gravitas befitting the office of president.


Maybe Oprah does believe that Obama is the person to lead this country in the future, but she can only base this on what she values and believes in as the direction our nation should go. But more fundamentally, the O Factor may be symptomatic of a deeper issue: that we have become so complacent, lazy, and downright disinterested in choosing a presidential candidate that we would rather have it done for us by a media maven. But there is too much at stake to leave it to others.


There is absolutely no substitute for doing our own home work in making the best decision as to whom we will elect as the next president.


It is critical that Americans become more serious about all elections that will take place in 08 and thereafter, and choose the kind of leadership that can guide us through the turbulent times we all know are ahead.




Armstrong Williams - Home

:

[*DIVA!]

Originally Posted by HWBL

The difference is that it IS Oprah who endorses him. She's proven
to be quite racist (just look at how she treats black guests opposed
to how she treats other ethnic minorities and (non celeb) whites)
and obviously power hungry. Her ego has gotten way out of control.

I am a black woman been one for 32 years.. There were only a few years in my childhood that I can say that Oprah was PRO-BLACK)and that was when she was a local news reporter in Baltimore!!) Oprah panders to her middle aged white female audience, those are her fans. Oprah could have spent those millions she did building that school in Africa on inner city public school kids in America who are still using the books I did when I was in school. She might be a dark-skinned woman on the outside but she damn sure isn't racist. Now, I wouldn't call her power hungry because she's done a damn good job for herself. I dislike her because she is successful, I dislike her because of her phony behavior and her actions towards her own race of people made me feel this way about her.

Originally Posted by HWBL

And unfortunately there's many soccer moms out there who blindly
follow Oprah in whatever she endorses.

Actually she has taken heat for backing him from her viewers. It's funny how no one turned against any other celebrity who supports a Presidential candidate!! I guess because she is black, and he is black it's racist and WRONG!! Hold up John Kerry WHITE, Ben Affleck WHITE... Al Gore WHITE, Leonardo Dicaprio WHITE...OOP'S...MY BAD but wouldn't that make them racist and wrong also!! Kerry is for Obama now so does that mean he hate his own race!!


Now, Roseanne Barr I've never had that much of a problem with, but where the hell do she get off telling someone who they can, or cannot endorse. I like Hilary and I've heard her plan. I liked Obama so so earlier, and was going for Hilary. I sat down, listened to what Obama was saying(not just the stump speeches) he has a plan. I really do believe that he can change this country, and that he is a uniter!! RACE SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, NEITHER DO GENDER!! It's the issues I care about!! Who fit's my beliefs and views the most, and who can WIN!! Roseanne is a Super feminist there is nothing wrong for that, but if you can't see past that..you need not have a voice on shit!!

[kingcap72]

Furthermore, a survey done by the Pew Research Center in September showed that celebrity endorsements in general had little impact on voters. Three-fourths of the respondents said the endorsements of Tiger Woods, Jay Leno, Toby Keith, Angelina Jolie, Jon Stewart, Donald Trump, and others would make "no difference" in influencing their vote, the poll found.

Yup. Just what I figured. Celebrity endorsements, for the most part, aren't going to influence most people's decision about a candidate, once they've already made up their mind. Or even if they're still riding the fence about a candidate.

Now, in the case of Oprah backing Obama, if somebody doesn't like Oprah they may decide not to vote for him as a way to stick it to Oprah. Which is just as bad as somebody who votes for Obama just because of Oprah's endorsement. Either way, you're allowing a celebrity to make up your mind about a candidate.

[bychance]

Who cares if a celebrity campaigns/supports a political figure? Everyone US citizen has and does. Bumper stickers, posters, buttons, etc. VOTE FOR [insert name here]. What difference does it make if you're a celebrity? Promotion is promotion. Ultimately, no matter how big a "fan" you may be, people will make up their minds themselves. Ideally..

I'm so tired of people bitching or assuming that Oprah is behind Barack because he is black. If she was behind Hillary everyone would say it is because shes a woman. She couldn't win either way.

Racism isn't a card game. There is no "race card". The term is extremely overreaching, and is used to legitimize apathy toward injustice. Words such as possibly biased, or influenced by race/gender, imo, would be better than the constant use of sexist/racist. I believe meaning is lost, when terms are overused. I took offense to the use of the word, "race card". That imo, has been used to increase apathy toward real injustices in our culture. It creates flippancy that is extremely decisive. It helps close people's ears, to the outcries of their fellow citizens.

[pacific breeze]

Originally Posted by Lily

I, um, I've always kind of liked Hillary anyway.

*ducks*

Me too and I agree with the assessment of Obama. Let's have some solid plans and strategies from Obama instead of platitudes about change and hope.

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

Me too and I agree with the assessment of Obama. Let's have some solid plans and strategies from Obama instead of platitudes about change and hope.

I find it interesting that people that are 100% behind Hillary are always complaining that Obama is spouting nothing but platitudes about change and hope when Bill Clinton ran on the exact same platform back in 1992. Anybody remember 'the man from a town called Hope?'

[pacific breeze]

Just because Bill did it, doesn't make it right for Obama to do it. Isn't he supposed to be better than any Clinton? Bringing changes that the Clintons are incapable of doing? I always preferred Hills to Bill anyway. And kingcap, I've never been 100 per cent behind any politician. I'm far too ambivalent and realistic for that, lol.

[*DIVA!]

Originally Posted by kingcap72

I find it interesting that people that are 100% behind Hillary are always complaining that Obama is spouting nothing but platitudes about change and hope when Bill Clinton ran on the exact same platform back in 1992. Anybody remember 'the man from a town called Hope?'

William J. Clinton Foundation "Video: Bill Clinton: The Man from Hope"

[kingcap72]

Originally Posted by pacific breeze

Just because Bill did it, doesn't make it right for Obama to do it. Isn't he supposed to be better than any Clinton? Bringing changes that the Clintons are incapable of doing? I always preferred Hills to Bill anyway. And kingcap, I've never been 100 per cent behind any politician. I'm far too ambivalent and realistic for that, lol.

Okay, PB. I stand corrected in saying that you were 100% behind Hillary. I should know better since I'm not 100% behind Obama or Hillary.

But just like Obama is campaigning on the platform of change and hope that Bill campaigned on, Bill was inspired by John F. Kennedy. So, it's not a new platform to use. It just only works with people who have the personality to carry it off, which Kennedy, Bill, and now Obama have.