Originally Posted By Dabob2 I think her support is probably genuine, and transcends his just being black; she could have supported Jesse Jackson, for instance (also from Illinois), if it was all about that. Since this is her first political endorsement, it seems to me you don't do that in her position (since it could instantly alienate millions of people, and you want the widest possible audience for her type of show) unless you genuinely support the guy. That said, maybe she's got an ego that would love being thought of as kingmaker also. Few in politics or show business don't have a healthy ego.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 And SPP, I'm going to email you again about a possible meet this Saturday at DL or DLH.
Originally Posted By Maxxdadd Maybe Oprah SHOULD be President, or at least VP: Unlike "No Child Left Behind," with one word, Oprah can get millions of people reading books as varied as Jane Austin to Mitch Albom. She ups the ante over Democrats with givaways, except instead of a minimum wage jobs and chickens in pots, she does cars and refrigerators. Oprah has managed to get more women to have breast exams than the guy who thought up Hooters. And hers are done by medical experts, not guys whose eyes are blurry from hot wings. Oprah is courteous. She never divides people; everyone is welcome into her Oprah worship circle. You can't say that for Hillary. Plus, Oprah never wears crappy looking pantsuits. She is good for the economy. If Oprah said "go buy a house," there would be a run on real estate. As for terrorists? Who in the world could call her an infidel. Those soccer mom's would dismantal anyone who would declare a jihad against her. .... and you know its true!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I think what Oprah seems in Obama is a politician who hasn't spent TOO many years in the public eye so as to become totally jaded and set in his ways. Well, that's what I see in him, anyway. To me, of all the candidates running, he has the "it" factor more than anyone else. I can see him doing what the best presidents do -- making inspirational speeches, encouraging people to give of themselves for their fellow countrymen -- and all in what seems to be a rather genuine way that connects with the average person on the street. Some would argue that he hasn't had enough experience in public office, but I beleive the country has about had it with people who have practically grown up in a political family. Oprah connects with the masses, and I think given the opportunity, so does Obama.
Originally Posted By JohnS1 I think you're on to something, Toonie. Part of the problem is that too many people think the president actually needs to be hands-on with every issue, and to be knowledgable about every little nuance of the work load. He (or she) doesn't, however, because if that president is surrounded by competent, knowledgable people, then - yes - his/her most important role is to inspire the people of the country, to unite them with inspirational goals and pride for their country. FDR did this, as did Kennedy and Reagan. Intimate knowledge of every bit of minutia is not necessary - it can even be a detriment when the president wants to be in on every single aspect of the federal government, IMO.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>FDR did this, as did Kennedy and Reagan. Intimate knowledge of every bit of minutia is not necessary - it can even be a detriment when the president wants to be in on every single aspect of the federal government, IMO.<< I agree. I think the best presidents are "big picture" types, the ones that can inspire people to stretch beyond what we "think" is possible. And we have some "big picture" things that need to be dealt with, too. Kennedy was able to inspire people into the importance of space exploration. We need something similar to inspire us to become energy independent in the next decade and free us from being beholden to the middle east and the nuttiness there. We need to tackle the issue of affordable healthcare and especially care of the elderly. There must be a reasonable, effective way to do this somewhere between the extremes of government bearing the full burden and leaving people to fend entirely for themselves. The list goes on and on. And who knows what else might happen in the meantime? My biggest knock against President Bush is that only a handful of times in the 7 years he has been in office have I felt like he is speaking in a real way, from the heart. He strikes me as someone very hands off, and a guy who ounches the clock in the evening and just doesn't think about stuff. This may be a false perception, but he just doesn't connect with people, except perhaps the most partisian members of the GOP. Obama, on the other hand, seems like a person who is articulate, thoughtful yet approachable. I know that may seem like a lot of "fluff" to some, but I don't see it that way. With some big ticket items we need to address, we'll need someone capable of getting us fired up again as a nation, and hopefully get us back to where there isn't the outright mocking and hatred of the "other guys" fostered by talk radio types.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan and if you've ever ounched a clock, you know how painful it can be...
