I don’t know how serious this Oprah Winfrey for president talk is, but let’s just stop it right now.
Winfrey’s excellent speech at last night’s Golden Globe Awards has rekindled talk of her running for president in 2020. If I had to bet I would think she’s not going to run, and that’s a good thing.
For all her accomplishments and talents, and they are many and impressive, Winfrey has no more business being president that Donald Trump. And while we’re at it, neither does Dwayne Johnson or any other celebrity giving even a passing thought to a White House run.
Would Winfrey be a better president than Trump? I have no doubt she would, but that’s beside the point. We don’t need another president with absolutely no experience sitting in the West Wing, especially since Trump’s successor will be charged with cleaning up the growing mess the most corrupt and incompetent president in history is adding to almost every day.
If Winfrey wants to serve her country she would be outstanding in any number of roles. Maybe as a senator or a cabinet member or, even better, heading up some kind of nationwide task force or initiative. Her communication and leadership skills could be real assets in those instances.
Maybe this would be a good time to look at the role celebrities play in this country.
Last night we saw an auditorium of millionaire celebrities honoring Winfrey and fawning over her every word. Her message was strong and important regarding the treatment of women in this country.
We need people like Winfrey speaking out about injustices because they possess both the power and the platform to be heard and taken seriously. But as has been written here before, nothing changes until we go from talking about sexual harassment to actually doing something about it.
In the end, the people who will change the culture about sexual harassment or any other issues are us – the everyday folks who live in a world far away from that of the Hollywood elites.
Until the day comes that the large majority of our society won’t tolerate such actions and the consequences for doing them are both inescapable and sufficiently severe it’s not going to change. Stars like Winfrey can lead, but our lawmakers have to put some teeth in this effort and we the people have to assume the responsibility of straightening up our own house.
In the meantime, let’s hope people like Winfrey stay out of politics, a pretty rough place that’s been known to chew up and spit out a fair amount of its hopefuls.
If the Democratic Party wants to be taken seriously in coming elections we won’t nominate celebrities. We have to cultivate and promote strong candidates who are already in our ranks. We also have to find newcomers with the background and skills to do the job for positions below the Oval Office.
We have to hone our message to a level of clarity and effectiveness we haven’t always reached in the past. In other words, we have to lay a foundation to succeed and not count on star power or the cult of celebrity to save the day.
And, as far as the White House is concerned, celebrities need not apply.
You can read all my blog posts at Musings of a Nobody
Please share and subscribe via email if you like it.