What does it say about us, the country, about us - her on DU

[question everything]

When, whenever someone gives a soaring presentation we clamor to suggest this person to the presidency?

I have seen it many time on DU and now it is Oprah. Why? She is a cult leader. She ushered an era when people like to sob, to open their feelings... OK, some like it. And, I suppose, some like to watch. And Social media certainly let people pour their soul to the public. But does this qualify anyone to be the leader of the free world?

Yes, she can talk to Kim Jung Un and ask him to tell us about his sad childhood? About how his father did not understand him? Perhaps an uncle molested him?

What does she know about foreign affairs? Obama did not know much but he, like Clinton were elected on domestic expectations. Where does she stand on the economy, besides, I suppose, thriving to fair distributions of wealth? Where does she stand on crime? On rural despair? On, yes, closed factories? This is where Trump at least promised hope.

And didn't she usher the so called gurus: Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz?

In the same line of thought, I can also bring Kirsten Gillibrand. She has made a name for fighting against assault on women. Honorable goal. But what else? Again, where does she stand on foreign affairs? On the economy?

When will we realize that behind every soaring speech (I did not watch the Golden Globe so don't know about how soaring it was) we should remember who is behind the curtain.

[UTUSN]

1. With Twitter in the WH, we're in Why-Not alternate universe.

[Hoyt]

2. Agree with a lot. But fact is, professional politicians have left us in a mess,

with a few exceptions. Too late to support anyone at this point, but I’ll listen to what they say after 2018 elections.

Besides, a good figurehead leader that brings us close together can appoint some fine advisers, judges, department heads, etc. Heck, Obama, Clinton, etc., might be worthy advisors.

Too early to support anyone at this point, but I’ll listen to what they say after 2018 elections.

[Pope George Ringo II]

3. The American populace has a long history of being this shallow, though

How many people voted for Obama because of one (great) speech in 2004? How about the ones who voted for Bush because "he seems like the kind of guy you could have a beer with"? Or the ones who voted for Clinton because he played the sax on Arsenio? Or the ones who either loved or hated the fact that Jimmy Carter wore a freaking cardigan? Remember how the TV hated Nixon sweating?

Not saying all those votes were necessarily or uniformly bad, but if we're honest it's not like the American voting public has a long and glorious history of making all the right decisions for all the right reasons. Even the right decisions have a fair amount of sheer happenstance about them.

[question everything]

4. Agree. Except we, Demcorats, are always proud that we think about issues

and about candidates. That we are not persuaded by these shallow images. Thus, it will be nice if, at least here, we will not see posts declaring this one for 2020 or that one based on one event.

At least, I hope so.

[question everything]

9. Wanted to add that, at least Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush were governors

They had knowledge of how a government body works. And Nixon had solid foreign affairs experience.

Obama had none of these, and it showed. But at least he did run for office, met with voters, understood what it takes to campaign, to talk to people and to listen, met with real people with real concerns. Oprah just meets with her groupies.

[llmart]

15. Reminder...

Obama was a Senator. I think that qualifies as knowledge of how a government body works.

[question everything]

17. As a legislator, not as an executive

but, as I noted, he did hold offices, he did campaign, he did meet with regular people.

But he was only two years in the U.S. Senate before starting campaigning and he did not know much about how Washington was working and it showed.

No, I don't want to start debating Obama's presidency; will leave this to historians with longer perspective. But I think that we saw, first hand, how having executive experience can make a difference.

And by executive I mean working with teams, with advisors, with board of directors, even. Not as a sole person at the top of a vast empire, calling the shots with no need to confer with anyone, to always be secure in the correctness of a decision because, well, so I said.

[llmart]

18. In spite of all that, President Obama did a damned good job.

Was he perfect? No. No one is. But he did a damned good job under the worst of circumstances; i.e., inheriting Bush's colossal mess and having the Republicans stonewall everything he tried to do.

You can keep waiting all you want for the person with the most experience, executive or otherwise, and hoping the general populace of this country is intelligent enough to want that in a president and you'll be waiting a long time. In the meantime, the Republicans can put up a complete ass with zero experience and he wins and the rest of us lose.

I don't know or hang with many people who are Trumpsters, but the few people I am slightly acquainted with who opening admit they voted for him all said the same thing independent of one another. They voted for him precisely BECAUSE he had zero experience in politics.

[ProudLib72]

5. So you're tired of the Oprah hype, too, huh?

I have felt like posting something similar for two days now, but my flame suit has been at the dry cleaners.

On the other hand, it has started to generate some decent discussion about running someone whose name is widely recognized since that is how Raygun and tRump got elected. That brings us to the first half of your question "What does it say about our country". Well, I feel it says we are pretty damned pathetic if all we look for in a candidate is whether or not we like them on TV or in the movies.

[triron]

6. I join you in this.

[Javaman]

8. cult of personality...

it happens daily on DU.

[question everything]

13. As long as it does not translate into a candidate

that will lose.

[Initech]

7. We've had two good leaders in 40+ years.

Americans don't know what it is like to have a competent president or a working government - that works for the people and not for giant mega corporations and people who have more money than god. While the rest of the world revolves around us. And our current president is what happens when you hit rock bottom. So we will latch onto anyone who sounds important at this point. One party got drunk with power and they refuse to give it up.

[NCTraveler]

10. Such thoughts require so much faith...

That they appear to be religious in the manner they are presented. People seem to want a savior. It completely negates any need for them to work on the problems themselves.

[bigtree]

11. circular argument

...started at the line where you called Oprah a 'cult leader.'

[LanternWaste]

12. Seems the people talking about her the most are...

Seems the people talking about her the most (by an exponential level) are the very ones who lecture us that we're talking about her too much.

There's definitely an irony there...

[question everything]

14. Well, this has been my only post about her

so I am not sure to what you refer.

Oh, a few days ago I posted a reply 'not Oprah" that was all.

But, I suppose, you have your own way of tallying comments.

[treestar]

16. Everyone who makes a good speech

causes a sudden desire for them to run for President.

Let her run for state office or Congress first. Haven't we learned a lesson from the Donald? Anyone interested in politics for real would have no problem starting lower than the Presidency.

[cwydro]

19. This conjecture about Oprah is hilarious.

One of the funniest things I’ve seen here.

[TheBlackAdder]

20. JFK-One of the worst attendences in House, underachiever in the Senate. Wealth Family. Great Pres.

.

Obama was highly educated too. Relatively inexperienced. Great Pres.

You just don't know what you'll get. Character, dedication and empathy are key elements.


Sometimes too much experience leads to complacency and old-school rigidity.

.