Barack Obama has a lot going for him this month as he has recently started to pull ahead of Hillary Clinton in Iowa polls, but could he be looking at trumping Hillary in the gender department?
Oprah Winfrey is going to tour about 4 states with Barack Obama heading into the state primaries that will take place first, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Oprah has a massive appeal to voters, especially women voters and African American voters. She has previously endorsed Barack Obama, but endorsing him is one thing, stumping for him is another.
The Implied Vice Presidential Statement of a Oprah on the Stump
It is definitely taboo for a Presidential candidate to identify a Vice President before they have won the primary. If Obama takes Oprah on the road, people will start to see the pair together. The unstated message imply:
- Obama is a good speaker
- Oprah is a good speaker
- Obama could be a good leader
- Oprah could be a good leader
- People seem to like Obama
- People definitely love Oprah
- Obama needs money and influence
- Oprah has money and influence coming out her ears
- Obama needs to defeat a woman to win the primaries,
- Hey, Oprah is a woman!
Look its not rocket science from that point on. Oprah could be the ‘2′ in the 1, 2 punch that Obama needs to take the nomination and possibly the presidency. If enough hints can be dropped before the primary, the potential for Oprah as a VP might be enough to sway would be female Hillary supporters to opt for Obama.
Oprah does have some baggage and lacks experience, but she definitely has goodwill, money and power, and in politics that might trump all else. Plus, it might trump Hillary on the issue of gender.
Other Benefits From Oprah on the Stump
There would be many other important benefits from an Oprah VP option. First, Oprah might be the only person in the world recognized as a better listener than Bill Clinton. Putting Oprah on the ticket could literally make people swoon.
Second, Oprah is a media darling and a run would definitely be a media circus. Oprah is an established member of the media, and a run for VP would trigger a media juggernaut. The media has a history of promoting its own from Ronald Reagan to Arnold Schwarzeneger. If Oprah runs or gets more involved, she is going to get press, she is going to get covered and it will be a circus. For a Presidential team getting unrelenting press coverage can be priceless.
Third, lets not forget that Oprah is a billionaire and has a massive media organization of her own that could be leveraged to get the vote out and get it out for Obama/Winfrey in 2008.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that POTUS and VP candidates had to come from different states.
This is the most idiotic thing I have heard. You should learn about the Constitution which prohibits the President and Vice President to be residents of the same state. Both Oprah and Obama are residents in Illinois!
Noah, you are not correct, but you are close. The difference is semantics, but in law that can open the door wide open for Oprah and Obama.
The Twelth Amendment reads
So as is probably obvious to everyone that leaves the door wide open for Obama and Oprah.
Obama is originally from Hawaii and currently resides in Illinois.
Oprah was born in Mississippi and currently resides in Illinois.
The law does not care where you were born, I mention that only because neither person has remained in the same state for their entire life. Furthermore, the amendment uses the word ‘inhabit’ which is different than the legal word ‘resident’ which has different requirements of resident eligibility in every state.
Its really pretty simple to execute this arrangement. Oprah only needs to move. She could move to Indiana just a little ways down the road from Chicago, or she could move back to Mississippi and “Come Home”. Obama could move, but as a sitting (well travelling) Senator that’s not terribly easy.
Remember also that Hillary suddenly became a resident of New York after residing in Arkansas for at least a decade and then Washington DC for almost another decade.
Oprah could move anywhere she chooses and state that she is now ‘inhabiting’ that state and be elligible. She could even move to a state and probably within 30 days or less meet the residency requirements too.
John,
I kindly invite you to go back and not only study the Constitution, but apply a critical eye to how it can be used. Reading the letter of the law and getting it wrong is one thing, reading the letter of the law and not understanding what you have read is another. Reading the letter of the law and getting it wrong (inhabit v resident) and at the same time not understanding what you have read(ergo how does one become an inhabitant or a resident and qualify for a VP position) is dangerous for our political system.
Summed up my thoughts on the current situation in an article on a related site
Obama needs to Hint at Oprah Card Now
“Admin”. You are very correct in that fact that Oprah could indeed move to Indiana or even use her finacial affluence and prowess to purchase a home in another state and claim that as her primary residence. However, Noahs point is still valid. He was not wrong nor did he err in his judgement as to the law, ie the constitution. You however berated him with the use of copious amounts of language used only in the halls of academia, for what? To tell him that the constitution could be circumvented as it was in 1999 with the changing of residencies of a one Richard Cheney? I would then ask that you go to every message board and blog on the Internet and give the circumstances that would prove their point wrong.
Also since im writing, I would also like to throw a little constitutional knowlege your way. The president (and therfore, as per the 12th amendment, the Vice President) ” shall, at stated times, receive for his services, a compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States, or any of them.” This means that if Oprah were to take the position, she would have to turn control of her media empire over to someone which would be feasable and she would have it waiting for her when she came back, but she would constitutionaly be unable to do her show during her tenure which would undoubtably lead to the fall of her sucess because of such a long absence. It would be the worst business move she could possibly do. This makes Noah’s point of the idea of a Obama/Winfrey ticket being idiotic, valid. I will just go ahead and mark this as a huge misunderstanding on your part and I therfore accept your apology. Have a nice day and try to be more cognisant of things in the future.
Reading this article leaves me in a sort of shock. Long have I been in awe at this ‘Oprah’ and her world-wide grip on the minds of middle-aged women. Never had I imagined that she would get close to the white house. Im sure she thinks about it on a daily basis, but this woman has power. She can make any woman who watches her show believe anything she chooses about a certain topic, and I believe thats so much more dangerous then a woman president.
Im sure if she agrees to join Obama, they will win the election together, and we will see big changes in almost every social and political way.
Oprah and Obama…..Liberal Left Wing Abortion/Baby Murderers.
A great pair or ruining our country!
Disgusting to say the least.
King and Queen of anti-christian values.
King and Queen of Abortion
King and Queen of Hell.
I just can’t understand why so many folks can’t see through these morons.
America……wake up!
Disgusting to say the least.
I just can’t understand why so many folks can’t see through these morons.
America……wake up!
Thanks for the comments Dee,
I don’t necessarily agree with your sentiment, but at least you are looking at things critically.
As to the King of Hell thing, that one is probably reserved for the current President, who seems to be committing atrocities left and right in name of christian values. Isn’t that the way the anti-christ is supposed to sack the planet some day???