On Monday, September 8, 2008 will debut the 150 American athletes who competed at the Beijing Olympics, including members of the “Dream Team” gold medal winning Men’s Basketball for her 23rd Anniversary Show as the ‘Mother Superior Daytime Television host,’ but she doesn’t want to interview Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Oprah is known for her unqualified support of successful, educated, White Soccer/Hockey Moms (“Fem-Power”), so it is quite surprising that she would not have Sarah Palin on her show; at least possibly not until after the Presidential Election is over. Although Oprah has made changes in her show and staff over the two decades that she has been on television, to include shifting from those wonderful moments of Spiritual anecdotes offered by Iyanza Van Zandt to Marianne Williamson to Deepak Chopra to Eckhart Tolle; at last count. Oprah has left the sassy theme song of “A New Attitude” by Patty LaBelle to a more almost “New Age” Spirituality or Metaphysical “Oneness /Enlightenment” which evokes musical themes of the singer Enya.
Oprah has never before, until recently, publicly endorsed any political candidate; that is, until she saw and heard fellow Illinoian, Senator Barack Obama. It was like seeing a ‘kid in a candy store,’ and Oprah enjoyed that political confectionary so much that not only did she endorse him, but did one better by going out on the campaign trail with him in the very beginning of the Presidential Primary. With Oprah’s much sought after stamp of approval, Barack Obama got out of the starting blocks with a little bit of a headwind behind him over all the other candidates. There was only one little problem with Oprah’s enthusiasm for Barack Obama, namely, forgetting about Hillary Clinton. Oprah’s lack of lending support to Hillary Clinton left many of her affluent, professional, educated White working Moms feeling betrayed because they thought Oprah was one of “them” or just like them; at the very least. To say that her supporters were shocked, surprised, and enraged would be an understatement of epic proportions. Now, it seems, is another slap in the face of some of those very same female constituencies and supporters who transcend racial and political boundaries. Some of Oprah’s closest friends and supporters, who are most likely Gail King, Maria Shriver, and Caroline Kennedy to name a few, probably had advised her against the idea; although the Executive Producers of Oprah’s show were in favor of it.
Regardless if one agrees with Sarah Palin’s Evangelical Christian Conservative Republican political and social views and her taking those cheap shots at Barack Obama during the RNC, still it is an historic moment for women across America regardless of political ideology that she is the first female to be nominated as Vice-President on the Republican ticket since the founding of the Republic. The backlash against is bound to increase and the chorus of disenchanted Hillary supporters might swell the ranks of those who wield those “PALIN POWER” signs to put pressure on the sponsors of Oprah’s show, which could result in the loss of advertising revenue and slipping in the Nielsen ratings. As a reminder as to what can happen when you fall from grace, just ask Martha Stewart. It wasn’t so much that she lied about her insider trading of IMClone stock to Federal Investigators leading to criminal prosecution and conviction, which was bad enough, but more importantly was the fact that a majority of her legions of adoring fans withdrew their support; and as they say, the rest is history. Of course this is not to say that Oprah has done anything close to being criminal but it does suggest that she is not immune to the swaying of public opinion; which is important in her line of work.
Over the many years, Oprah has been able to successfully weather her share of small controversies, criticisms, or rumors about her and has been able to put all of them to rest for the most part. Still, it seems a little disingenuous for Oprah to pride herself on being so open and unbiased, staunchly leading the charge for ‘Working Women of America,’ and yet be so obviously partisan in her refusal to acknowledge the significant accomplishment of one of the very people that she is the “Poster Girl” for. Not only that, but if Oprah can have George Bush on her show, then why not Sarah Palin? Perhaps it is time to take a second look at Oprah Winfrey and find out who she really is. There was a familiar refrain which criticized the Republicans during the Obama campaign all the way to the Democratic Convention, which was, “That’s Not Change but More of the Same.” But for Oprah, the label seems appropriate because when it comes to shafting Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, she is certainly consistent because her actions show, “That’s Not Change but More of the Same.”
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September7, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
