Dec 10, 2007 4:15 pm US/Eastern
Keller: Oprah's Political Voice Falls Flat
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has put
her support behind Barack Obama, but will that translate into votes in the end?
Oprah is without peer as an
entertainer and entrepreneur. But after watching her presentation to the crowd
in Manchester, I'm
sorry to say she's got a long way to go as a political advocate.
Sunday night wasn't about persuading
the 6,000 folks in the hall -- almost all of them are already sold on Obama. Instead,
it was a chance to grab the attention of undecided voters and maybe hook a few
by sharing a persuasive fact or anecdote about the candidate. Instead, we got
pablum like this from Oprah: "We need a president who has a conscience, and
knows how to consult his own conscience and proceed with moral authority; I
believe we need Barack Obama."
Wait a second... Isn't that how we
got in trouble with the current incumbent, voting in someone who relied on his
own conscience and moral authority instead of facts and good advice?
You knew Oprah would draw a crowd
and supply charisma, but Obama already had plenty of that. Her failure to offer
any substance along with her endorsement may wind up being a missed
opportunity.
So what could she have done to
answer that challenge? As one of the world's most successful self-made
businesswomen, speaking in a state that's home to many entrepreneurs, she might
have talked about how Obama proposes to spur small business growth and economic
opportunity. Instead, we got platitudes and show-biz.
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