Frankly I'm dismayed at all the positive chatter about Oprah Winfrey running for president. To my mind it would be an absolute disaster for the country and for the Democratic Party. A high-profile candidate like Oprah slips by much of the party machinery just like a certain "so-called" President we already have in place. And despite the fact that I probably agree with Oprah's positions more than I do those of the "The Donald" it still speaks to a broken system and spells perhaps the beginning of the end of orderly politics in the United States. Celebrity presidents are fine for fiction, but in reality they are the absolute sacrifice of style over substance.
Good government is damn difficult to do, as can be seen by the rampaging examples of lousy governance we suffer under on both the local, state, and national level these days. Politicians must transform into public servants when they are elected and stop being candidates, but in the perpetual food processor which passes for the politics these days, the campaigns never end. The much maligned media are much to blame as the horse race nature of politics offers immediate drama and the much beloved "narrative" which many journalist crave. Pitting the mighty Oprah against the forces of darkness headed by the dangerous Trump is likely irresistible for news outlets. But what's good for the news business and ad rates ain't necessarily good for the average citizen.
I hope this Oprah nonsense never gets off the ground. Trump was sufficient evidence that being President ain't a part time gig which some dopey celebrity can dabble in. It's a job of work which requires commitment and focus and energy. Does Oprah have drive and energy? Sure! But does she have the experience to go with the seeming business acumen she is credited with? No one knows, but before she lands in the Oval Office, why not take a stab at mayor Chicago and prove that the rough and tumble of governing is for real. The Democrats need to rebuild from the ground up and focus on the next generation of candidates and look to a future will be with for quite some time to come. The country needs to re-examine its political structure, especially campaign financing and gerrymandering. They need not get distracted by the sugar high of yet one more celeb who wants to audition for national politics.
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The cult of celebrity is becoming a major concern worldwide, regardless of who we are talking about, but having a successful talk show, sports career or worse being a member of the public only famous for being on some show like Big Brother etc does not necessarily make you a good politician or communicator when push comes to shove. The sad thing is that large chunks of the public seem to think that it does and seem to trust celebs more than politicians, maybe that’s a more to do with the disillusionment in many career politicians as much as the total dumbing down of the public (of which I am probably just as guilty) Saying that Oprah seems a nice person.
ReplyDeleteI have to blame the public for falling for this nonsense. People have become so entranced by the frivolities of life that they've lost touch with the demands of being part of a self-governing society. I blame myself as a teacher who has clearly failed to impart the necessary tools used to discern the daily deceptions. I try, but I hear in my students on a near daily basis that they are not putting their lessons into practice when confronted with the news of the day. That substantial elements of this country can regard Obama with open disdain for attempting (on balance) to bring good government back. He was not always successful by any means and ended up not tending to the Democratic Party in ways he ought to have done, but in the light of the ignoble Trump he's a paragon. Obama tried usually to do the right thing and to be honest but Trump doesn't seem to know what the right thing is and how anyone can think such an inveterate liar is honest boggles my mind. My nation is crying out for statesmen to step to the plate in both parties. It will begin hopefully this November.
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