Oprah Was Intelligent Until She Voted "Black"?

As one reader commented in the AfroSpear: "It was only a matter of time before Oprah was asked to choose between her race and gender."

Apparently, Oprah's white female fans posted a barrage of jeers and sneers for Oprah's support of Barack Obama. According to Times Online, "Women turn on 'traitor' Oprah Winfrey for backing Obama."

Not only do the comments suggest that women should be up-in-arms over Winfrey's support of Obama; others sail over the wall in left field with accusations of racism.

As wisdom suggests, you can only prove you're a fool by opening your fool mouth. Perhaps a wise woman may have considered these points before parting her lips:

1. Whites have selected whites for President since the office existed - and I dare say that the "absence of a qualified black candidate" was not the underlying problem. If Oprah should automatically pick a white woman to disprove racist motives, then all white men should pick Obama to disprove any racist motives.

2. Obama is Oprah's hometown candidate (Illinois). She has experience with his political history. How is that any different from the way political networking operated since the beginning?

3. Oprah doesn't do a d*mn thing in the blind. No dummy could achieve Oprah's accomplishments. I don't believe for one second that Oprah is blinded by Obama's color. Oprah's resume demonstrates evidence of intelligence that spans decades.  Did Oprah suddenly transform into a drooling vegetable when selecting Obama?

4. Where can I find the similar outcry for all of those whites backing white candidates? Seriously. When whites support whites, they're hailed as understanding the issues (whether the position is agreed or not). When blacks support blacks, eyes roll over the "mindless color blinded followers." That position alone reeks of racism.

5. Oprah's benevolence spans an incredible range of ages, colors, and cultures. She was no monster when she backed Dr. Phil. She was no monster when she launched Rachael Ray. And she was God's gift to the planet when whites walked away from her show with goodie bags and new cars. But somehow she turned into the One-Eyed-One-Horned-Flying-Purple-People-Eater when she turned her attention to a well-qualified presidential candidate who just happened to be a black man.

6. And here's the biggie... Would [white] woman put on the same battle armor if Hillary was black and Oprah endorsed another male? Face it, the gender battles  fought by feminists traditionally lose steam when the time comes to support black women. I seriously doubt that the current complainers would assault Oprah's character if Oprah left a black female candidate in the lurch.

I was never a huge Oprah fan. I admire her accomplishments and subsequent benevolence in sharing her rewards. But I don't TiVo the show or sweat at the opportunity to meet her. I don't run to buy "Oprah's Favorite Things" or read her book club selections.

What I do respect is Oprah's individual human right to weigh the issues and support a perfectly qualified candidate. Respect and agreement aren't twins - but 10th cousins, twice removed. For every white woman pointing a "she's a racist" finger at Oprah, three fingers point back.

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Sources:
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Times Online: Women turn on 'traitor' Oprah Winfrey for backing Barack Obama
Oprah fans leave a barrage of negative messages on her official website in response to the talk show host's support of Obama.

AfroSpear: Race or Gender - Which Carries More Weight?

Comments

[GC]

I'm still wondering how come Oprah can endorse a candidate. I thought you had to be a politician to be able to do that. Since when can everybody on tv open their mouth and endorse people?

[hawa]

Actually, people all over Hollywood are endorsing candidates on the campaign trail. I've seen news footage of people from wrestlers, to Chuck Norris, to the plumber from Desperate Housewives offering very public endorsements of their favorite candidates. I guess Oprah's endorsement just received more news coverage than the others.

Any individual or a group can express vocal endorsement of a candidate and pledge support along the campaign trail. It's not unlike you and I discussing our favorite candidate with friends and family. Only we don't have the money or fame to do it on a larger scale. LOL This is a regular occurrence during presidential campaigns.