Oprah Winfrey is not our Messiah. She cannot solve the problems of America.
No one is. No one person can. Nor should we want them to.
Oprah doesn't have perfect judgement. Remember, she supported and promoted the likes of Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy, and other charlatans who prey upon/pander to the less well-educated members of our society.
Not everyone who is good at what they do, and effective where they are, would translate to a good President. Oprah would be much more effective doing what she does best - rallying public opinion to a cause and getting more people involved in the process.
I love Elizabeth Warren - or rather, I love Senator Elizabeth Warren. In the Senate. Stirring shit up, calling out bullshit, protecting and serving her constituency. I would hate to see her hands (and mouth) tied up in the Presidency, where she would have to walk both sides and make compromises to get actual work done.
I love Kshama Sawant. Having a Socialist on the Seattle City Council is probably one of the things I am most proud of here. She does an amazing job of bringing a voice to those who until recently, were not represented in City government. Do I think she's a good Councillor Yes.. She's a firebrand. This is where she does the most good. Could she be a good Representative or Senator? Yes. Do I think she'd be a good President? No.
The President is a role where one must represent ALL of America - the Left, the Right, the Center - the entire citizenry. Something the Current Occupant doesn't understand (because he only understands winning, and the reality that sometimes you need to walk away with a resolution and not a win is outside of his experience, and quite frankly, outside of his ability to grasp). Lowering the bar for future candidates to meet the standard set by this last election would be a disservice to the United States and the end of the American Experiment. The Presidency is not Celebrity Death Match. As Michelle Obama said, "When they go low, we go high".
Is Oprah powerful? Yes. Is she relevant? Possibly. Probably. Is she flawed? Yes, she's Human. Is she an effective leader? Yes. Is she Presidential? No. Is she all things to all people? No.
Is Oprah the Messiah you are looking for? No. Is she a prophet, calling you to act? Yes.
Oprah wasn't standing up at the Golden Globes to lead you to the Promised Land, or to save us from the mess we're in now. She isn't the Golden Glove opponent who's going to TKO this Presidency, and expecting her to be is only going to continue the lowest common denominator reduction that we've seen in US politics of late.
We don't need a monarch, a Supreme Leader to save us, belligerent or benevolent. We fought a War of Independence to cast that off long ago.
What Oprah was doing was standing up to give a voice to those of us who are speechless; a direction and a map to those of us who are lost. We are our saviours, just as we always have been:
Oprah isn't going to save us, but she has told us who will. We will. Because no one else can.
No one is. No one person can. Nor should we want them to.
Oprah doesn't have perfect judgement. Remember, she supported and promoted the likes of Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Jenny McCarthy, and other charlatans who prey upon/pander to the less well-educated members of our society.
Not everyone who is good at what they do, and effective where they are, would translate to a good President. Oprah would be much more effective doing what she does best - rallying public opinion to a cause and getting more people involved in the process.
I love Elizabeth Warren - or rather, I love Senator Elizabeth Warren. In the Senate. Stirring shit up, calling out bullshit, protecting and serving her constituency. I would hate to see her hands (and mouth) tied up in the Presidency, where she would have to walk both sides and make compromises to get actual work done.
I love Kshama Sawant. Having a Socialist on the Seattle City Council is probably one of the things I am most proud of here. She does an amazing job of bringing a voice to those who until recently, were not represented in City government. Do I think she's a good Councillor Yes.. She's a firebrand. This is where she does the most good. Could she be a good Representative or Senator? Yes. Do I think she'd be a good President? No.
The President is a role where one must represent ALL of America - the Left, the Right, the Center - the entire citizenry. Something the Current Occupant doesn't understand (because he only understands winning, and the reality that sometimes you need to walk away with a resolution and not a win is outside of his experience, and quite frankly, outside of his ability to grasp). Lowering the bar for future candidates to meet the standard set by this last election would be a disservice to the United States and the end of the American Experiment. The Presidency is not Celebrity Death Match. As Michelle Obama said, "When they go low, we go high".
Is Oprah powerful? Yes. Is she relevant? Possibly. Probably. Is she flawed? Yes, she's Human. Is she an effective leader? Yes. Is she Presidential? No. Is she all things to all people? No.
Is Oprah the Messiah you are looking for? No. Is she a prophet, calling you to act? Yes.
Oprah wasn't standing up at the Golden Globes to lead you to the Promised Land, or to save us from the mess we're in now. She isn't the Golden Glove opponent who's going to TKO this Presidency, and expecting her to be is only going to continue the lowest common denominator reduction that we've seen in US politics of late. We don't need a monarch, a Supreme Leader to save us, belligerent or benevolent. We fought a War of Independence to cast that off long ago.
What Oprah was doing was standing up to give a voice to those of us who are speechless; a direction and a map to those of us who are lost. We are our saviours, just as we always have been:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...".We the People of the United States are going to have to get up off our collective asses and be the leaders we want to see in our School Boards. Our City Councils. Our State Senates and Houses of Representatives. Our United States Congress. Our Presidency.
Oprah isn't going to save us, but she has told us who will. We will. Because no one else can.
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