© Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/REX/S
The column follows a powerful speech delivered by Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday evening. (See video below.) That speech set Twitter and cable news ablaze with talk of an Oprah run for President in 2020. By Monday evening, CNN was reporting that she is "actively thinking" about a Presidential run.
In hearing that pronouncement on CNN, our first thought was that media outlets wouldn't have the guts to tell a black female celebrity with the stature of Oprah Winfrey that she could doom the already shaky credibility of the Democratic Party with a run for the White House; that her lack of prior government service and national security naiveté would be weaponized against her by Republicans.
Instead of silence, however, Americans are showing they are mad as hell about the prospect of another celebrity billionaire totally lacking in government experience setting up shop in the White House.
Williams had this to say in the New York Times today:
"I am not immune to Oprah's charms, but President Winfrey is a terrible idea. It also underscores the extent to which Trumpism - the kowtowing to celebrity and ratings, the repudiation of experience and expertise - has infected our civic life. The ideal post-Trump politician will, at the very least, be a deeply serious figure with a strong record of public service behind her."As for the Democratic Party being intimidated into shoving another candidate down the American people's throats that they don't want in the top office of the land, Williams added this succinct message:
"The idea that the presidency should become just another prize for celebrities - even the ones with whose politics we imagine we agree - is dangerous in the extreme. If the first year of the Trump administration has made anything clear, it's that experience, knowledge, education and political wisdom matter tremendously. Governing is something else entirely from campaigning. And perhaps, most important, celebrities do not make excellent heads of state. The presidency is not a reality show, or for that matter, a talk show."(for the rest of the story click here)
Comment: Comparing Trump to Winfrey is like comparing rubber bands to rockets. Yes, they might have celebrity status in common but Trump is at heart a savvy business man and if anything, him as president has given us a peek at the man-behind-the-curtain. In contrast, look at what the legacy Obama left behind to see what " experience, knowledge, education and political wisdom" has got us. See also: