The second day of Oprah Winfrey's barnstorming swing with Barack Obama went even better than the first, with the pair attracting over 29,000 in Columbia, SC. Seanna Adcox reports for the Associated Press:
The Oprah and Obama tour hit South Carolina Sunday, with the talk show host and medial mogul exhorting nearly 30,000 to ignore Barack Obama's detractors and help him capture the Democratic nomination and the presidency."South Carolina -- January 26th is your moment," Winfrey said, referring to the state Democratic primary date during a campaign stop alongside the Illinois senator. "It's your time to seize the opportunity to support a man who, as the Bible says, loves mercy and does justly."
Obama's campaign said more than 29,000 attended the event at the University of South Carolina's football stadium. It had the feel of a rock concert, with bands playing for early arrivals and campaign supporters yelling "fire it up" to the crowd.
Winfrey, who also campaigned for Obama on Saturday in Iowa, offered a touch of talk show-like advice during a 17-minute speech. "There are those who say it's not his time, that he should wait his turn. Think about where you'd be in your life if you'd waited when people told you to," she said.
"I'm sick of politics as usual," Winfrey said. "We need Barack Obama."
Read the rest at the link above. While the value of celebrity endorsements is questionable, Oprah may be the exception, in that her widespread popularity might at least get more voters to consider Obama. The tour certainly came at an opportune time for Obama, who has only recently overtaken Hillary Clinton in Iowa and begun to move up elsewhere. The jubilant atmosphere and large crowds he attracted with Oprah tend to reinforce the perception he has the momentum - and undermine the Clinton strategy of presenting the "aura of inevitability."
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Filed under:
2008 Presidential Race, Democrats, Obama, Primaries, South Carolina
Tags: Democrat, endorsement, Obama, Oprah, presidential campaign, primaries, South Carolina
Comments (3)
Perception counts more than... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Glenn Koons | December 10, 2007 3:43 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Perception counts more than reality for the shallow voters in the USA today. Too bad that the Pubs do not have any real Star Power to support their agendas. Oprah is really someone who can even sway white females. It is not racial. Obama is an empty suit but he could beat the Hildabeast and be even tougher to defeat because he is young, cute, for CHANGE, whatever that is and never specific. The Pubs have a hard race ahead.
1. Posted by Glenn Koons | December 10, 2007 3:43 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 10, 2007 15:43
2. Posted by Jim Addison | December 10, 2007 4:20 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I can't remember where I saw it, but someone noted that the appearance of Oprah at Obama's side might remind people of the differences between them. Oprah is older, came from humble beginnings, made her place in an industry that is both highly competitive and resistant to independent outsiders, achieved great and wide-ranging success, and has contributed huge sums and efforts to charitable causes. Beside her, Obama . . . well, he was elected President of the Law Review, worked for some liberal advocacy groups, conducted a few college lecture classes, and . . . well . . .
Let's face it: if Oprah were to be honest with herself, she wouldn't trust Obama to run her business, much less the country.
2. Posted by Jim Addison | December 10, 2007 4:20 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 10, 2007 16:20
3. Posted by Susan | December 11, 2007 1:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Obama is a rock star. Visiting my hometown last month, he said very little specifically about what he's done politically and what he will do in office. But his positive, youthful spirit rallies thousands at a time. Hillary, on the other hand, answered very specific questions when she visited here. Her visit was more like a job interview with a highly qualified candidate rather than a rally for democratic ideals. She spoke as a lawyer, a senator, a mother, a wife and as a policy maker and foreign policy official. Both Hillary and Obama are clearly leaders. Could we maybe combine her experience and street smarts with his inspirational leadership?
3. Posted by Susan | December 11, 2007 1:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 11, 2007 13:05