fucking NT

Have you ever thought about the awful rat race that is running for President? Two years of hard campaigning, kissing the asses of donors, the conventions, the secret service, the dog and pony show. Why would she want to do that? Plus she has so much influence she can probably do as much or more as a private citizen.

So no, I don't see her running.

No thanks.

Better a democratic celebrity than any republican. Can you see her debating whatever stupid republican they put up. OMG! It would be night and day.

I agree with this, the idea of Oprah running really irritates me.

She would be a bazillion times better than DT, for sure. But, she should work her way up politically. She should serve our country in smaller ways before she hubristically jumps into a presidential race. Bc otherwise it appears to be all ego. Just like Trumplestilskin.

GET IT OWN.... anyway we may need our own celebrity to combat the dotard dufus 'star power'.

Then after that maybe we can get back to "normal".

She may be a wonderful person but she has zero governmental experience.

We see how that turns out

I will not lower the bar by voting for a celebrity rather than an experienced leader.

I like Oprah as a tv personality, but we do NOT need yet another completely inexperienced, wealthy game show host as a presidential candidate.

The point is that she's an amateur with no more government experience than Trump. Yes, she's sane and liberal, but she's still an amateur. I want a professional as a president, not a tv personality.

Everybody likes Oprah! She could certainly take on the strangely coiffed yam that is our current President.

She's an amateur. If I need an operation I want a surgeon who actually has experience doing surgery, not a talk show host. Same with the presidency. Maybe moreso.

You want the to hire good surgeons, establish safe procedures, keep the place clean and the lights on, etc.

in pretty granular detail. You have to understand the Constitution, the ways the branches of government operate, especially Congress and the courts. You need to know the limits of your authority. You need to be able to negotiate with foreign leaders and you can't rely on your fame as a celebrity. The presidency is not a job for an amateur, and Oprah is an amateur.

Really? You think that someone with Oprah's cred and smarts and money and power is an amatuer?

I say screw that. I want a smart, savvy business person who understands women and the problems caused by all the asshole men of this world to stand up and give them notice.

Maybe people don't want politicians. Maybe people just want someone to believe in.

Being smart and having money and power doesn't qualify you for the job. Being smart and having money and power doesn't mean I want you to operate on me if you aren't a surgeon. Being smart and having money and power doesn't mean I want you to fly the airplane I'm traveling in if you aren't an experienced airline pilot. Being smart and having money and power doesn't mean I want you representing me in court if you aren't an experienced trial lawyer.

Trump is living proof of how terribly things can go wrong if a president doesn't know what he's doing.

They want celebrity.

That is why trump won. They eschewed the politican for the celebrity. Fact.

The old joke; How can you tell if a politician is lying? If their lips are moving. Is more than just a joke. It has born itself out more times than not. It is a joke that has become a truism.

I told you a truth. You can accept it or not.

Also, your comment is so goddam degrading on so many levels I am amazed.

I have a real job too, my friend. So does the man in the field. Your elitist political attitude is the problem.

And Obama was called "elitist" by many on "the other side" because he went to Harvard, and was a constitutional law professor.

I think that we can agree that POTUS is way more complicated and difficult than people think.

And no, a talk show doesn't prepare you for that, nor does simply being a successful businessperson.

Yes, so many on the left require being seduced, dazzled and amazed, rather than simply impressed with actual qualifications. I think that the Democratic base that came out in in 2016 and since November has shown that those who dismiss temprament, qualifications and the recommendation of their peers are not the majority of Democrats, and are not the future of the party.

We also don't accept something as being a "truth" without the data to back it up, because we know that someone can truly believe something that is not based in fact.

And going on the attack when someone points out the holes in your argument will limit your time here on DU.

Just an FYI.

Knowing that I will vote straight ticket dem as I always have, but I will never fear backing down when people call my opinions into question.

Peace.

Such as when you said this:

I'm not sure why you think I would be.

We're talking about being the President of the United States. The person who holds nuclear launch codes and is responsible for a budget of $3.8 trillion dollars. Having that kind of responsibility is the kind of thing you should be spending your entire career specifically working towards.

The reason we're in this mess is because people don't respect the kind of experience and hard work it takes to do that job. Like Sarah Palin explaining how she could be the President because of her experience as a mother. And George W Bush equating running a baseball team with being President.

I don't think she's an "amateur" but I also don't think she's remotely qualified to be President. She should run for Congress or get a governorship first if she really wants to get into politics and if that works out well, consider running in another 10 years or so.

People get the government they deserve. And we're watching right now first hand what happens when we elect a president people just want to believe in instead of asking rationally whether that person has the appropriate experience for the job.

Find a politician that has Obama's natural charisma, star power and his brilliance, we might get a real chance to get back the country in 2020.

My fear is that if we fail to embrace the Kanye-fication of the political sphere we lose.

I hope I am wrong.

My opinion.

Respect for experience is one. We understand that leading requires many things, and that simply being a celebrity or business person isn't going to get the work required of a POTUS.

We don't confuse wealth for savvy, and celebrity for leadership.

Well, not all of us.

You put words in my mouth and try to distort my meaning.

Yet, you fail to see or even try to understand my point, so there is really no reason to continue.

Peace

I think you are seeing insults and challenges where there are none aimed at you.

Yes, I agree that it's best that you take a break.

Peace.

Or anyone but yourself?

On what authority?

And why don't they speak for themselves?

I'll back down.

Thank you sir.

As we have seen.

If I'm hiring a hospital CEO, I would at least want them to have worked in a hospital...at some point in time, and preferably for awhile.

President Obama was relatively new to the political stage. I can point to several people here who debated that very same lack of experience and said they wanted a more experienced candidate.

President Obama understood celebrity and he used his personal charisma to win the hearts of this nation.

I know you all want a politician. Same here, I just want to win and we will need star power to do it, in my opinion.

Send some crony politician with tons of experience and no charisma on that stage and prepare to be defeated.

Peace.

He also had the temprament, the intellect, and the background of community organizing.

He would not have been the nominee had he been a talk show host.

Do you think that he would have?

But I agree with you: no amateurs please.

He was "relatively inexperienced" but so were most people when compared to Ted Kennedy...

I agree. Self-designated experts on politics who state that you don't need any experience got us DOTUS.

I don't think he would have gone anywhere if his charisma on stage was anything short of spectacular.

These are my opinions.

The state legislature experience
The Senate experience

The charisma was icing, not the substance that got him the nomination. That's my opinion.

The fact that he was a constitutional law professor was another huge factor in people being Ok with his nomination.

Remember, he won by less than 1% over Hillary. She had the resume, and anyone that was going to even come close was going to have to make the case that they were as qualified.

You say you don't trust politicians. What did you mistrust about Obama?

Was it that he never let his anger show?

I'll back down.

We need a politician.

Thank you sir.

From someone who has teaches in in multiple post-graduate health administration programs. you can't just delegate and not understand what you are coordinating. Plus, understanding the complexities of economics, foreign affairs and governance isn't just saying things that hype people up.

That alone would make her a better choice.

Here: Oprah loves John of God. He's the Brazilian megachurch scammer and fucking psychic surgeon!!!!!

I don't want Oprah as my local dog catcher.

She's a babbling idiot.

Sorry, hadn’t kept up.

Surgeon General

The goddamned fucking SECRET?

Give me a break

but they are not POTUS material.

Not even the politicians.

That's a lot more than you can say about most professional politicians.

aren't smart, good communicators or have compassion?

Please cite sources outside your opinion. You made a statement - would you care to revise it?

I used to, but I felt like she ran out of things to talk about at one time and didn't quit talking.

While the media normalized Trump as soon as Democrats tried to run a celebrity watch how quickly they will be painting as complete joke.

...but not the way she's given a platform to all sorts of quackery and woo. Sure, she'd be a lot better than Trump, but I'd like a better choice, please.

She, along with Hannity, was one of the first to try to rehab that nazi's career, inviting him on her show for warm and fuzzy interviews for his books, while downplaying his own words.

his campaign for governor of California. She interviewed him on her show while rumors of sexual misconduct swirled around him. Her softball interview made him more palatable to women voters.

No #MeToo movement back then, so I guess she'll a pass from her fans.

Also has about the same net worth as Trump but is probably more liquid.

That particular attribute means nothing for someone who wants to be president.

...a business is to make a profit...

for the other guy...government is not a business and cannot be run as such.

I have been shouting that from the rooftops, figuratively speaking, for years. There is this idea that because someone is a good business person they would be a good president because it's just like managing a big corporation. This attitude is in part what got Trump elected (that, and racist anger). He's a rich, successful businessman so he must be smart, right? (Trump was actually not even a good businessman, but that's a whole 'nother point).

But the government is not a business. The purpose of a corporation or other commercial entity is to make money for its shareholders/owners. The purpose of government, at least according to the Constitution, is to provide for "the general welfare" and the common defense of its citizens. While everyone agrees that government funds (taxes) should be spent sensibly and not wasted, government does not exist to make a profit. It exists to serve the people.

CEOs and managers of corporations can manage the business and hire and fire people as they please; they are constrained only by their board of directors, which won't care much what the CEO does as long as the business is profitable and everybody stays out of jail. A president, however, is only the manager of the executive branch of the government - and has to answer to the legislative and judicial branches. Everything a president does is supposed to be reviewable by the Congress and the courts, as well as the people. (This is driving Trump crazy, btw.)

I might just strangle the next person who tells me government should be run like a business and therefore a CEO would be a good president.

A government is not a business period. I love Oprah...but we need a Lyndon Johnson...not Oprah.

Very, very different metrics of success for a POTUS and a CEO.

If there's an opening!

She's not running. Her most important job is building #BlackWealth which has been doing successfully for years.

Let's face it, we live in an age of celebrities. They have an inherent advantage due to name recognition. Oprah is known to almost every American over age 20.

If she could put together a solid platform, why not? We've seen many "career politicians" take office and they've proven little better or, in some cases, no better than the celebs who get elected.

I'm not saying she's my candidate, at this point, but I'd sure listen and consider her.

No billionaires. No TV personalities.

Barring some scandal we don't know about now.

because women can't get away with having colorful pasts. She had a child at the age of 14, many lovers, and she's not married to her partner, Stedman. I don't care about this sort of thing - she also has an admirable rags-to-riches history - but while the behavior of a louche slob like Trump gets a pass, a woman, especially a black woman, will be judged harshly and unfairly.

There will be pushback.

I want someone with real experience in government.

With experience in government and you also want that person to listen to the people they pick.

to help you run it? Whom would she choose, Dr. Phil and a bunch of anti-vaxxers and purveyors of woo and self-help books?

What would make her qualified? While I am certain she would be better than Trump, I think I had my fill of celebrity presidents.

What's scary is that if she did run then she would likely get a fair amount of votes just 'cause she's Oprah. That being said, I find it highly unlikely she'd actually run.

...experienced POLITICIAN...not a beginner wanna be no matter how much we love him or her.

Obama was a constitutional professor. That was a huge help, coupled with his humility and intellect.

Last edited Mon Jan 8, 2018, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)

I'd argue his success was down to him being a community organizer, no matter what how much the right wing maligned him for it. He had a vision, knew how to pick the right people to do the work of implementing it, and knew how to motivate them to get it done. I think Oprah probably has a lot of those qualities but if she doesn't it will become obvious in the primaries.

Watch it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=564&v=ss6qQM054B0

wow...

Even though she would be a huge step up from Dump, we cannot have any more celebrities in power. And I keep saying if there's one person who the GOP hate more than Hillary Clinton, it's Oprah. Fuck no.

Snip: If Winfrey likes your stuff enough to feature it on her show, you'll probably get rich. Your book, your show… your hideously fraudulent woo.[1]

Filming a daily daytime talk show for about twenty years naturally means that there will be a lot of time to fill. Sadly, Winfrey chose to fill this time with woo promoters. She is a relentless promoter of pseudoscience, some relatively benign, some downright dangerous:

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey

Plus you need a good politician as well. I think if she has an inkling to run for office, she would choose a smaller executive office or statewide legislative.

She's intelligent and self-aware enough to know that she is not qualified to be POTUS, though she would, of course, be better than trump, But she stays away from politics in general. You gotta wanna do it.

She's probably a very nice person. But even though she runs some sort of multi-million dollar enterprise, that does NOT make her qualified to be President.

And don't start spewing nonsense about how she'd hire good people. Where would she find those good people? What are her connections in the many, many areas she needs?

I ran for office once. For the state house of representatives in a state in the midwest. I lost to the popular, incumbent, Republican. And to be honest, had I won, I'd have been at best a mediocre rep. And that's at the state level. I'd like to think I'd have learned on the job, perhaps severed two or three more terms, but who knows?

An Oprah going straight to the White House? Woah!

As it is, for those of you with limited memories, among the criticisms of Obama running in 2008 was that his experience in government was extremely limited. In his case he did a reasonably decent job of bringing good, experienced people on board with him, but he could do that because he'd already been in the Illinois Senate for some 8 years, and then in the US Senate for a couple of years. Not really as strong a background as might have been desired, but at least he had that. Oprah Winfrey has never run for office, not served day one in a legislative body, wouldn't have a clue how to work with Congress.

Clearly Donald Trump likewise hasn't a clue how to work with Congress, but putting another person into the White House with a similar total lack of experience would be madness.

Is the goal to divide?

https://dashboard.securingdemocracy.org/

Link to tweet

that she would NEVER run for president. She said that not only is she NOT intetested in the job, but her personal life couldn't withstand the scrutiny. While I personally think she could trounce Trump, I have to humbly agree we don't need another celebrity.

Last edited Mon Jan 8, 2018, 01:13 PM - Edit history (1)

nt

Oprah Winfrey is a babbling idiot!!!

She supports fucking John of God, the Brazilian religious scammer who does psychic fucking surgery!

She is into every woo-woo that exists.

I don't want that idiot woman anywhere near government.