Oprah has, for decades, claimed not to be political. Yet she has become so in the era of Trump – who was once an admired and frequent guest of her talk show. The Democrats even briefly courted her for a run against the Donald in the 2020 presidential election. Now she’s actively campaigning for Stacey Abrams, the radical Democrat running for governor of Georgia.
After basking in the glow of a fawning fan base, Oprah politely declined to run for office herself, claiming on national television: “It’s not in my DNA.” Later, she went on the talk show circuit to explain that politics was a “nasty business” that would certainly “kill” her.[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”24″] …why on God’s green Earth would Oprah throw her weight behind Stacey Abrams? [/perfectpullquote]
But the once again “apolitical” star came out of her gated and walled safe space to support a controversial and divisive candidate. That’s political, Oprah.
Why Abrams?
In a field of Democratic hopefuls scratching and clawing their way to election day, why on God’s green Earth would Oprah throw her weight behind Stacey Abrams? Is it because there has never been a black woman governor in the United States? Is that a good enough reason, given the contentious, progressive partisan beliefs that Abrams continually espouses on her quest to the governor’s mansion?
To say she’s alt left may give her too much credit towards the middle ground, and she clearly does not understand the economics and demographics of the state in which she has lived her entire life.
Georgia is home to over 42,000 individual farms – with 9.6 million acres devoted to agriculture – yet she told a crowd at Georgia Southern University that people “shouldn’t have to go into agriculture.” One in seven Georgians would beg to differ, and enjoy the benefits that a $73 billion industry inside the state lines has to offer.
Stacey Abrams
She has also taken a few shots at the NRA and advocates for strict censure of the Second Amendment, having described AR-15s as “weapons of mass destruction.” My guess is that, at the very least, the over 310,000 licensed hunters in the state would find issue with her radical views on gun ownership.
But perhaps the most disturbing incident in Abrams’ background that should cause pause for Oprah is how she defends her reasons for burning the Georgia state flag at the steps of the capital: destroying what she considers an unfortunate history that should not be remembered.
But Oprah is Not Trump
Legacy media outlets are touting the long lines in Marietta and Decatur to snag tickets to see Oprah, the celebrity – not Abrams, the candidate. But Trump is scheduled on the heels of the Winfrey visit. In a race that polls nationwide have declared a dead heat, it may come down to whomever wins in the Trump versus Oprah popularity contest. Oprah is a big name, but can she draw more voters than Donald Trump?
