Oprah Winfrey, like the majority of natural-born American citizens over the age of 35, could decide to run for president in 2020.
Let’s put aside the fact that it’s kind of amazing that everyone isn’t yet fatigued by the idea of a celebrity running for office and take a quick look at some of the things that might make her an interesting candidate.
Oprah started her career as a news anchor. President Donald Trump had a lot of experience being in the media before running for office. Oprah has been, and continues to be, a member of the media. She has been on the questioning side of interviews for decades.
Might that foster a better relationship with the press than the Trump or Obama administrations? Or would it make her savvy enough to remain closed off, knowing the damage an ill-timed couch jump can do to public image?
Winfrey has been incredibly open about her personal life, on her talk show and also with her endorsement of Weight Watchers, the diet program in which she bought a stake in 2015.
Being president means being asked about incredibly personal subjects like health and tax returns. Reminder: This week President Trump is getting his first physical since taking office. Also, he has yet to release substantial tax records.
Would Winfrey be more open to sharing those personal details? That’s something she’d need to decide before running.
Speaking of things we write on tax forms, Oprah is single. She’s been with her partner, Stedman Graham, since 1986, but they’ve never married.
Two bachelors have been elected president — James Buchanan remained a bachelor for life — but if elected, Oprah would presumably bring Graham with her.
Remember when everyone was freaking out about what they would call Bill Clinton if Hillary Clinton had been elected? It would be like that again, but with even less of a historical precedent.
Crucial to any presidential bid: face time in primary states. Oprah has been to them. She famously campaigned with then-Sen. Barack Obama back in 2007. In December.
If nothing else, the adopted Chicagoan could handle the winters of Iowa and New Hampshire and campaign hard heading into the the first primaries.
But what would her platform be?
Winfrey has shown a passion for education, opening the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa in 2007. According to her website, her public charity, Oprah’s Angel Network, has built schools and bought supplies for children around the world.
Winfrey’s discussion of women’s rights and equality at the Golden Globes is what got everyone speculating about her potential run for office in the first place.
“I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon!” Winfrey said Sunday night.
It sounded like a campaign speech with a feminist message that could carry through an entire season.
She discussed race and gender frequently on her show. We have decades of video of Oprah on the record on the country’s biggest issues. She doesn’t have a political record, but she has a record.
The thing that will be interesting to see is if any of that might come back to haunt her during opposition research.
If nothing else, she’s got star power. One of the biggest insults then-candidate Trump levied against his opponent Jeb Bush was that the former Florida governor was “low energy.”
Try saying that about Oprah Winfrey.
