Puzzle pieces beginning to fit

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A woman has been nominated to be vice president, and Oprah yawns.

We don't get it. Except that many in the news and entertainment media are doing their best to get Barack Obama elected. Indeed, he's been on Oprah's show, and she's stumped for him at rallies.

But she has no interest in Sarah Palin's historic candidacy as the first woman on the Republican presidential ticket? She has no interest in finding out more about this strong, popular, family-and-work-juggling new-age woman who just might be headed for the seat of power in Washington? It strains credulity, and tarnishes Oprah's credibility.

That's sad. We admire Oprah and support her in most of her endeavors.

Some are calling for boycotts of Oprah. ""We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey's decision to sit out the greatest political moment in the history of women since suffrage," says Linda Ivell, head of the Florida Federation of Republican Women, which is calling for the boycott.

We're not sure a boycott is the right way to disagree with someone politically. And Oprah has done so much good with her celebrity and wealth.

Certainly she has the right to do with her show what she wants -- although she may not always have that right: If Democrats capture both Congress and the White House, it's quite possible they'll reinstitute the "Fairness Doctrine," in which the government monitors political speech on the nation's broadcast outlets and requires shows to provide equal time to competing ideologies.

Under Democratic rule, Oprah might have been forced to host Sarah Palin on her couch.

Still, Oprah's not the issue. Media bias is. The unabashed, unrelenting attacks on Palin by CNN, US Weekly and others -- set against the backdrop of the same media's near-total disinterest in Obama's background -- has all the feel of an attempted coup. They seem desperate to get him elected, whatever the cost.

People aren't sheep to be led around by the nose this way. They sense what's going on, and the backlash against the media has begun.

Oprah's choice to champion Barack Obama and ignore Sarah Palin's groundbreaking nomination is just one more piece of a troubling puzzle.

Comments

mgroothand

It really is not a "troubling puzzle", it is totally expected. Obama is perceived black, Oprah is black, Palin is white and just like 95%+ blacks will vote skin pigmentation, she will ignore Palin. I have long suspected Oprah for having racist tendencies, this latest incident simply proves it.

Lobosolo

How many whites are not going to vote for Obama because he's black? How much bias does this paper show on a daily basis? Why are the countless racist comments by people on this blog not considered racist by the people who post them? You know, it just takes a quick glance at history to see where racism started in this country, and it didn't end with the Civil War, either. "The greatest moment in the political history of women since suffrage"? Sorry, but Geraldine Ferraro beat Palin to the punch by over twenty years.

wildman

Everybody should know Okra is supporting the big 'BO' because he's half black, here's the kicker, she has that right. I'm not a Okra or BO fan but I and everybody else has the right to support the person of their choice. It does bother me that we still choose based on skin color, Okra has for years preached skin color should not matter but I guess we now know the real Okra.

christian134

Oprah is about as prejudiced as they get...Obama could start hanging whites and she would find a reason to justify...

SisterAbdullahX_

So far, the polls show a nearly 50-50 split among white voters for Obama and McCain, while the split among black voters is around 97-5. I don't think Lobosolo's "How many whittes are not going to vote for Obama because he's black" question makes sense in this regard.

JustaVoice

Statistics from 2005 reveal that 80.4% of the US population is white and 12.8% is African American (an additional micro % is mixed). Whether black or white, educated people tend to examine the issues of politics more deeply and thus will make their decisions based on "paying attention". There are many, many sheep remaining in both races. I'm white and I'm still a Ron Paul kind of guy. However, I would surely vote for Colin Powell.

cyou299

McCain chose a VP who is entirely unvetted. The media asks those personal questions that ALL candidates have gone through, and all we hear is how they are attacking the VP. Where do we hear this constant whine? From the media. Duh! The Repubs have not let their candidate speak on her own. They isolate her and hide her from the press claiming hostile press, when we know it's their excuse to keep her from making rookie mistakes. Because she's a total rookie. Poor Palin. When she speaks, it's nothing but lies and half-truths, and if the media tries to follow-up, they cry 'foul'. She was against the pork 'bridge to nowhere'? Straight out lie. Against pork? She got more per person in Alaska than anyone ever has. True, Oprah should have her on. Let's let America meet the real Palin. Sooner the better.

SisterAbdullahX_

Ok cyou299... How about you prove some of those lies you speak of. When you say "When she speaks, it's nothing but lies and half-truths", but then can't prove it, it makes YOU the liar.

pofwe

You mean, you finally see the O's true color?

patriciathomas

Oprah has a fine show and she has taken a stand behind Obama. She'll not work against him by having Palin on because she's so good in these situations. The left still doesn't know how to deal with a smart and competent woman in politics. Obama dissed Hillary and forced McCain to make the great choice and now the left is freaked out. Good! Good for McCain, good for America, bad for the socialist left.

christian134

Yep Retired Army your showing the exact intellect that the Obama and the Obama followers are now and have been displaying since the beginning...Proud of ya...

DonH

I can only guess that Oparah sees the Vice Presidency as second rate, and the woman isn't "black enough" to suit her. Too bad Oparah can't look at the person inside instead of the color outside. I don't watch her shows anymore because of this attitude.

I4PUTT

I think it only makes sense that if Oprah is backing Senator Obama she would not do anything to support the opposing candidate. She's not a journalist, she's an entertainer. This is pointless. Are there no issues of importance in this campaign?

HillGuy

Oprah has not been on TV in my house for years. Like Obama, I think the woman has a God-complex.

patriciathomas

RA, pookie, is ignorance bliss? Oprah stated clearly she would not allow Palin on her show until after the election, as is her right.

paulwitherspoon

lobodumbo--I think if you read the article, you will notice the op-ed stated first woman on the republican ticket. and you, like so many other democrat sheeple are allowed to vote, jeez! I expect no less fom winfrey!

Lobosolo

How adult of you, Mr. Witherspoon. I did see that part. So, the selection of a REPUBLICAN woman to be nominated for vice president is the greatest moment in the history of women since suffrage, not the selection of the FIRST woman to be nominated. How utterly dumbo of me. A thousand pardons, please.

paulwitherspoon

You are welcome lobo. It was no problem for me to point out your use of the wrong sentence to try and drive your point home.

j2says

The Oprah show thing is foolish. It would be different if Oprah had a show that continually followed politics like Meet the Press but she has a lifestyles show. She has the right to have who she wants on her show when she wants them. As Palin has the right to refuse the offer if she ever receives one. If you don't like her decision don't watch the show.

Also it is more than possible that Oprah is voting for Obama for more than his race. Not every black person is voting for Obama and it is absurd for people to think so. That's like saying all women are voting for Palin because she is a women and clearly that is not the case.

The AC is right media bias is the issue and the AC more than makes up for the leftisit agenda it accuses other media outlets of having. How about sticking with some local isssues every now and again?

EJ

None of the "left wing, liberal" women in this country think just any ol' woman should hold a high office.......she has to be a "left wing, liberal" woman like themselves. That's why they like Hillary so much. Sarah Palin, even though they know NOTHING about her, is just not their woman, because she belongs to the Republican party!

patriciathomas

j4, Clarance Thomas was not used by whites as a token. Because he was a successful black American and didn't claim to need all of the assistance programs and didn't claim victimhood and didn't claim association with the socialist left, he was portrayed by the radical blacks as a token, Uncle Tom and whatever else seemed derogatory to the left. He had the audacity to stay off the plantation and to call it what it is. He was the worst nightmare the enslaved left could think of. A free, successful black American.

j2says

I won't call Clarence Thomas a token or Uncle Tom. It just too demeaning a statement. However, I will go on to say that and I beleive he has admitted it that he rallies against Affirmative Action but he benefited from it. That's not taking anything from his hard work or intellect but it's the truth. NOt all black people are radical blacks. It's his underlying contempt for the black community that others black people have called out. There are other black conservatives like J.C Watts and Michael Steele that have not evoked such sentiments as Thomas.

karmakills123

Who gives a rats potootie what oprah says? She's an entertainer..thats all .

christian134

justus take a pause...Your way over your quota for racial remarks against the big bad white society...

newtothegame

Bobby, Oprah Winfrey is the devil!!!

willistontownsc

I applaud Oprah for not taking in this nonsense from Billy Morris or any otehr biased right wing zealot.

imdstuf

Palin was not selected even a month ago and Oprah is being critcized for not having her on yet. Now if Opray does have her on the right wing media (that always points out that the media is left wing) will say its because of their writing. Typical.

EJ

Ah, willistontownsc, rears her head again! Such HATE!

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