1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Bridget and it's Emily, and you're listening 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: to stuff mom never told you, and today we want 3 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: to talk through a topic that you might have heard 4 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: about in the last couple of weeks. Oprah, what do 5 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: you think about that? Emily? I was tweeting hashtag I 6 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: think about three minutes into her epic Golden Globe speech. 7 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: So I've been on board ever since, despite the deluge 8 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: of drama that the Internet unveiled pretty much every moment 9 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: since exactly We're gonna break down some of that drama 10 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: and all the conversation surrounding Oprah's inspiring speech, and all 11 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 1: the chatter saying that she might actually run for president. 12 00:00:57,960 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: So unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably 13 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: seen that Oprah gave an inspiring, inspiring speech at the 14 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: Golden Globes when she won an award. This speech was 15 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: pretty much applauded by everyone that heard it. Let's take 16 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: a quick listen, and I was specially proud and inspired 17 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: by all the women who have felt strong enough and 18 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: empowered enough to speak up and shared their personal stories. 19 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: Each of us in this room are celebrated because of 20 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: the stories that we tell, and this year we became 21 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: the story. But it's not just a story affecting the 22 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: entertainment industry. It's one that transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics, 23 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: or workplace. At the Golden Globes, Oprah was winning the 24 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: Cecil B. Demill Award. Some past winners include Meryl Streep, 25 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: Jodie Foster, uh, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Williams, Barbara streisand and 26 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: lots of other really notable talents in the entertainment world. 27 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: A problem Williams, And Yeah, this award was for notable 28 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 1: incredible lifetime contributions to the entertainment industry, which Oprah clearly 29 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: and obviously belongs in that category, probably more than any 30 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: of the of the winners you just listed. I mean, 31 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: can you think of anybody in present day America who 32 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: has had such an impact on the world of entertainment. 33 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: I literally only think a close runner up who's like 34 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: on the rise, maybe like emulating Oprah right now, is 35 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: Ellen Degenerous. I would put her in this category to 36 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: calling it now. Future winner of that award, Ellen de 37 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: generous for sure. Side note. When I was home for 38 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: the holidays, I watched a bunch of her new show 39 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: with my parents of the Yeah, where people are like 40 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: trapped into like devices that if they get the questions wrong, 41 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: they get hurdled into get their death. I don't know. 42 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: I know this is why you have a funny look 43 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: on your face then, because you're thinking of that as 44 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: her contribution to entertainment. I think I just watched her 45 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: like one show anniversary of the Ellen de General Show 46 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: and looked back on all the contributions. That's the show 47 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: she'll win it for in my opinion. Yeah, I could 48 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: see that. And her stand up is hilarious. Go back, 49 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,399 Speaker 1: go back and watch her stand up. It's pretty great. Yeah, 50 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: you seem a little skeptical though. I don't know if 51 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: I would put them on the same level. I mean, 52 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: did I did not say? Eventually, I'm saying she's like 53 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: a young Oprah. She's like on the rise, hopefully fulfilling 54 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: the same shoes that Oprah is currently wearing. I could 55 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: see that anyway, incomparable in every way. We'll check back 56 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: in ten years and see what Ellen on her open 57 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: on her journey to the Oprah So Oprah speech was 58 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: pretty much universally praised, so much so that hashtag began 59 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: to trend almost instantaneously, and I definitely contributed to that. 60 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: I mean, you know what I think was so profound 61 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: about that moment. A so many people were watching because 62 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: of the build up to the Golden Globes, which we 63 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: covered in our ME two episode or in one of 64 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: many ME two episodes that we've had, because it was 65 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: such a demonstration of political force, and it was such 66 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: an opportunity for Hollywood to uh communicate the reckoning that's 67 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: happening in their industry right now. I think there are 68 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: a lot of people watching with optimism, with excitement, and 69 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: with a feminist fervor. So the audience was already cued up, 70 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: and you know, like Oprah was set up to hit 71 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: a home run. And then her speech was so refreshing 72 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: because we haven't heard from great orators in a while, 73 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:45,320 Speaker 1: we haven't heard that kind of patriotic American dream type 74 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: rhetoric in a while. In a way that sounded so inclusive, 75 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: so optimistic, and so indicative of everything that I think 76 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 1: is good about this country. Yeah, you kind of forget 77 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 1: how important it is to feel like you are living 78 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: in a time there when something is bad or depressing, 79 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: or something big and scary happens, that you have a 80 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: leader who can speak to that eloquently. I was never 81 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: a big fan of Barack Obama sort of quote unquote 82 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: healer in chief thing. I didn't really like that, but 83 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: I kind of forgot how comforting that was. And I remember, 84 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: I think it was the day of the shooting in Vegas, 85 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: when everything felt so scary and so so hard to 86 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: wrap your head around. I went on YouTube and found 87 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: that video of Barack Obama at the funeral for those 88 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: who were killed in the Charleston shooting, where he's sang 89 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: amazing grace, and it was this amazing moment, and I 90 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: kind of forgot how important it is to feel like 91 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,119 Speaker 1: you have a leader who can speak to your pain 92 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: and to your emotions in times of crisis. And I 93 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: think we are in a time that feels very scary 94 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: and very uncertain politically, socially, and I think for a 95 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: lot of us, myself included watching someone that you recognize 96 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: as a leader get up on a stage and speak 97 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: to that that feeling in your soul. It's so important 98 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: a way that I don't think I even quite realized 99 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: was missing exactly. I forgot how important that was because 100 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: it's easy to say you know, what a president should do, 101 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: or what a leader should do, is see campaigns through 102 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: to fruition. You know, past policies make things happen politically. 103 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: That's one big part of leadership. It's easy to forget 104 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 1: communication is part of the chief executive's job, and so 105 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: it was really refreshing to see that coming from Oprah 106 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: in an absence of it elsewhere. Quite frankly, you're not 107 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: the only person who noticed that. Emily NBC News during 108 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: that night tweeted nothing but respect for our President with 109 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: a picture of Oprah, which they later had to apologize for. 110 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: Meryl Streep, who won the Cecil B De Mill Award 111 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: the year before Oprah, told The Washington Post she launched 112 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: a rocket tonight. I wanted to run for president. I 113 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: don't think she had any intention of declaring, But now 114 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 1: she doesn't have a choice. Well, that's the crux of 115 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: the issue. Does Oprah habit choice? Like? Where does she 116 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: stand on all of this? Because the internet chatter took 117 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: off in a way that almost eclipsed Oprah herself and 118 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: the great speech she just given. So what where does 119 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: Oprah stand on this? That's a great question. Oprah has 120 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: sort of fallen on both sides of the fence. She's 121 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: played a bit coy at times and other times has 122 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: been very definitive. Um. In the twenties sevent team Hollywood 123 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: Record podcast interview, she said that running for public office 124 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: was a definitive no. Here's what she had to say. 125 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: I will never run for public office. Okay, that's a 126 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: pretty definitive. That's a pretty definitive thing. Okay, I will never. 127 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: And I don't know. I don't know the answer to that, 128 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: but I will. You will never have to I will 129 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: never have to know the answer to that because I 130 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: will never. I don't blame her, Bridget like her life 131 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: seems pretty great. Why would you want to muck it 132 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: all up in the dirty work of politics? I completely agree, 133 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: And I think that people forget that running for office 134 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: isn't actually that glamorous. It involved a lot of going 135 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: to fish fries and crab boils and clam bakes and 136 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: all kinds of real small towns in the middle of nowhere. Yeah, 137 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: and I mean, the schedule is grueling for one thing, 138 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: But second of all, your whole personal life has dragged 139 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: through the mud. There's no there's nothing off limits, and 140 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: I just feel like someone like Oprah who's already accomplished 141 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: so much and can have such influence in the private 142 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: sector and through nonprofit advocacy as she has, it might 143 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: seem like an unnecessary burden that she might not be 144 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: that into. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that's 145 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: her thinking. But after her Golden Globe speech and all 146 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: the chatter about, CNN actually reported that she was quote 147 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: actively thinking about it, setting two close friends that they 148 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 1: didn't name. The Los Angeles Times quoted Steadman, her longtime partner, 149 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 1: as saying, it's up to the people. She would absolutely 150 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: do it. Now, I remember why I've got Ellen degenerous 151 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 1: on the brain, because I heard Meryl Streep sitting on 152 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: a couch with Tom Hanks talking to Ellen. Ellen interviewed 153 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: them right after the Golden Globes, like a day or 154 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: two after, and Meryl looked like a giddy schoolgirl because 155 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 1: she was like, yes, Dedmond said she'd do it. Dedmond 156 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: reported that she might do it, So I think her 157 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: quote was let me know where to send the check. 158 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: I just got a fantasy in my head of Oprah 159 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: running for president with Merrill being her campaign manager. She 160 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: could definitely be her finance manager. That'd be a good movie. 161 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: Shake that Hollywood money tree, you know what I mean. 162 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: That would be great, That would be really amazing. That 163 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: would be something to be a star studded campaign. So 164 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: you can see how Oprah has sometimes been really definitive 165 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: about never running for public office, not going to do it, 166 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: no chance, and this idea that maybe she's thinking about it, 167 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: maybe it's something that's not out of the realm of 168 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: possibility for her. Well, I mean, honestly, a Trump presidency 169 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: changes the whole game. If I were her, you know, 170 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: I would say, like many of us clearly did, like 171 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: too many of us clearly did, that it's okay to 172 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,079 Speaker 1: sit on the sidelines, right, Like I can continue be 173 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: in the way I'm contributing. Maybe I don't need to 174 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: throw my hat into the ring. And just like when 175 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: we were talking with Aaron Valarti at Vote Run Lead 176 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: on our episode about going to be the Year of 177 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 1: a Woman, I think a lot of us are like, 178 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: we've got Donald Trump in the White House, this country 179 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: is only going to be led by people who throw 180 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: their hat into the ring. I guess I gotta roll 181 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: up my sleeves and put my name on the list, 182 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, like, it's time to do more. 183 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: And I think that call to action is visceral for 184 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:30,319 Speaker 1: women right now and for women in a position of privilege. 185 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: I can see where Oprah would want to pour her 186 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: energy and resources and spirit into sort of saving us. 187 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 1: But that's the problem, right, that is the problem. So 188 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: after her amazing, amazing speech, I was almost a little 189 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: hesitant at all the conversation, you know, just like everybody 190 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: else listening right now. I found her speech to be super, 191 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: super inspiring, and I was a little weird about to 192 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: see all of my DC political whole insider friends arguing 193 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: on Facebook and Twitter about, Yeah, she should run for office, 194 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: she should be president Rara, and even those who were like, no, 195 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? She shouldn't run for president. 196 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: I was annoyed by the entire conversation. And here's my thing. 197 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: I thought Oprah made a really inspiring speech. Immediately following 198 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: said speech, the entire internet decided that we should be 199 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: have young conversation about a should she be president a 200 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: job that she's not from her hat into the ring 201 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 1: for or be here's why she's not qualified for said job. 202 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,360 Speaker 1: Both of those reactions really bothered me because I thought, 203 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,439 Speaker 1: she can't we just enjoy that she gave an amazing 204 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: speech at a time when the country needed it and 205 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: have that be that, Like, that whole news cycle really 206 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: really took away from that. For it was annoying. And 207 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: then there were like the meta level commentaries on your 208 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: bad if you had this reaction to the speech, or 209 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: you shouldn't be talking about this element of opra. I mean, 210 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: there was such aspy role of drama that came out 211 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,599 Speaker 1: of that that, quite honestly, we were getting tweets. I 212 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: don't know about you, Bridget, I'm sure you were, Like 213 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: a lot of our listeners were tweeting at us saying 214 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: I can't wait to hear what we have to say 215 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: about it, And I was like, is this an issue 216 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: we want to chuck? Well, that's the thing. Part of 217 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: me didn't even want to contribute the chatter that took 218 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: away from what was her great speech by saying, here's 219 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: why she's qualified for a job she frankly hasn't said 220 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,839 Speaker 1: she wanted, or here's why she's not qualified for a 221 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: job that she hasn't mentioned wanting. And so I almost 222 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: didn't even want to speculate about the pros and cons 223 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: of an Opra presidency. But you know what, Emily, let's 224 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: do it anyway after this quick break and we're back, 225 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: and really let's break down the conversation surrounding an Oprah. 226 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: I want to be clear here that more than anything, 227 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: Bridget and I loved the speech that Oprah gave and 228 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 1: that stands alone as something that inspired a nation and 229 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: world in some ways and inspired our country. What we 230 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: want to pass through right now are the myriad responses 231 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: that followed and talk through what this actually says more 232 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: about us than it has anything to say about Oprah 233 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,720 Speaker 1: herself exactly. So I want to talk through the what 234 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: ifs of an Oprah presidency. What is the case for 235 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:29,280 Speaker 1: First of all, the obvious you alluded to this earlier 236 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: in the show Like It or Not. Trump's win set 237 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: a precedent for who we think of as quote presidential exactly. 238 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: I mean, he was our first celebrity president in a 239 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: lot of ways, although someddy say Ronald Reagan, wouldn't you, Yeah, yeah, 240 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,800 Speaker 1: So maybe he's not the first, but definitely the first 241 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: reality TV star to become commander in chief. And this 242 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 1: idea of a wealthy sort of celebrity elite with no 243 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: political background running for office would not even have been 244 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: a conversation to follow the Goal and globes had we 245 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: not had a Trump presidency. GOP strategist Anna Navarro put 246 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: it this way, quote, are we really asking ourselves whether 247 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: a political neophyte, billionaire, media savvy TV star could become president? 248 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: America answered that already, I don't know how much she 249 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 1: knows about foreign policy or some domestic issues. But hell, 250 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: it's not like she'd be running against Churchill. She'd be 251 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: running against Trump exactly. And to be clear, this nuance 252 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 1: is not lost on Oprah. After Trump one, she actually 253 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: seemed to be mulling it over because she thought, Hey, 254 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: if Trump could do this, maybe I could do it too. 255 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: Here's what she had to say. I actually never thought 256 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: that that was I never considered the question even a possibility. 257 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: I just thought, oh, oh right, because it's clear that 258 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: you don't need government experience to be like the president. 259 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 1: I thought, oh gee, I don't have the experience. I 260 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: don't know enough. I don't know. And now I'm thinking, 261 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: oh right, it's so funny to go back and listen 262 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: to that now, because you know she can play koyah 263 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: she wants to. But that sounds like someone who is 264 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: rethinking in light of a Trump president evolving the exactly. 265 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 1: And I have to say, I've always thought it would 266 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,479 Speaker 1: be cool to have someone that doesn't necessarily come from 267 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: the traditional backgrounds of law to be president. I want 268 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: to see a teacher president, or a nurse president, or 269 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: a doctor president. I'm really comfortable with the idea that 270 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: you don't have to have a specific professional background in 271 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: order to hold public office. I am shocked to hear 272 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: you say that. Really, you sound like a Trump supporter 273 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: who's like drying the swamp. No more political insiders, let's 274 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: get it outsider in the White House. I mean, it 275 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: does sound a little bit populous. I don't know. I 276 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: think it's like, I'm no big Paul supporter, but I 277 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: like that he was a doctor, right, And I think 278 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: that we I think that, you know, I used to 279 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: think that you could never hold public office if you 280 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: didn't have a law degree or and go to law school. 281 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: And I just think opening up the channels and so 282 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: saying you can be a teacher or a professor, or 283 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: a nurse or something like that and still be a 284 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 1: valid candidate for holding public office. I see what you're saying. 285 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: I agree in some ways. I also have come to 286 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: value the political skills of politicians, and that I never 287 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 1: thought I would have. I'm hesitant to go on the 288 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: records saying this, but the ability to play politics has 289 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: a dirty connotation, but it really has to do with 290 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: galvanizing support. It's about bringing divergent parties together to get 291 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: things done. And that pragmatist in me is so into 292 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: having a president or having leadership who know how to 293 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: play their politics right. Yeah, there's something wrong with knowing 294 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: how to do politics. I think that we so often 295 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: make it sound like it's sleazy or bad, and it's not. 296 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: And there are probably teachers and doctors and corporate leaders 297 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: and entrepreneurs who know how to play their politics right too. 298 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: And look at all the other public figures who there's 299 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: been some chat or about for whether or nothing run 300 00:16:59,920 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: for president. Mark Zuckerbird. I'm only do you have feelings 301 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: about Zuckerbird? No comment, Okay, we'll move on. We'll move on, 302 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 1: Mark Cuban. We have all of these different kinds of 303 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: people from different backgrounds who there have been some whispers 304 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: they may maybe would be interested in holding public office, 305 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: and it may seem strange, but I'm actually all for it. Yeah, 306 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: I think you're absolutely right. There's a strong populist current 307 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: in the country right now, and I get it. I 308 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: don't want to be a career politician either. I'm not 309 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: working on Capitol Hill for twenty five years to weasel 310 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:31,439 Speaker 1: my way into the White House. That seems like a 311 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: terrible route to take. It also seems that you're missing 312 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: out on real life with real America if you do 313 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: that exactly, and Oprah has certainly lived a real life. Yes, 314 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 1: actually that is a great point, Bridget, because I wanted 315 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: to point out what angered me the most about the 316 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:57,120 Speaker 1: comparison between Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey is lumping them 317 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: into the same category of celebrity billionaire. They are the 318 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: most different celebrity billionaires then you possibly can have. Oh absolutely, 319 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: they could not be more different. Keep in mind that 320 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: Oprah is completely self made. You didn't get money from 321 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: Daddy to start businesses. It was just a million dollars, 322 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: but just a normal million dollar loan like any of 323 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: us starts out with. You know, you just get a 324 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,440 Speaker 1: million dollars to start your own thing. Yeah, I think 325 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: you really struggled, like he talked about. That is like 326 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: the hard years, not to mention all the different corporate 327 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: bankruptcies and record of not paying contractors and just generally 328 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:40,640 Speaker 1: being terrible at running his business. The notion that somehow 329 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 1: supporting an Oprah candidacy means that we as Democrats are 330 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: like stooping to the celebrity politics of Donald Trump was 331 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: so infuriating to me because it's a false comparison. You 332 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:00,080 Speaker 1: cannot tell me Oprah Winfree is somehow as unqualified it 333 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,400 Speaker 1: or unfit for the presidency. It's Donald Trump is. Yeah. 334 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,120 Speaker 1: If Donald Trump is qualified on his quote unquote business acumen, 335 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: that makes Oprah like ten times more qualified. There was 336 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,199 Speaker 1: a great rundown in Politico that ran through all the 337 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: ways in which Oprah outshines Trump's private sector career on 338 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: a lot of friends. As you mentioned, bridget Trump didn't 339 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: exactly start off scrappy and struggling, whereas Oprah Winfrey, on 340 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: the other hand, survived poverty, childhood, sexual abuse, workplace sexual 341 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: harassment to become the world's first black female billionaire. And 342 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: she's self made, which I think belongs in that description 343 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: as well. Yeah, I think it's important to recognize that 344 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: she really did start with nothing. When you look at 345 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: her biography, she overcame so much to be so powerful 346 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: and influential. I can't say the same thing about Trump. 347 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,160 Speaker 1: It's just not true, not at all. And beyond that, 348 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: her foundation, the work she's done from a philanthropic standpoint, 349 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: runs circles around the Trump found vation. Not only has 350 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: she focused a lot of her philanthropy on international education, 351 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: specifically education for lifting up impoverished women and girls, but 352 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: right here at home. Following Hurricane Katrina, she invested ten 353 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,679 Speaker 1: million of her own money and partnered with Habitat for 354 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: Humanity to build a planned community in Houston's Angel Lane, 355 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: housing sixty five families displaced by the storm. And Oprah 356 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: makes a habit of donating money to other nonprofits, to 357 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: other charitable organizations who are doing the hard work, including 358 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: over eighty charities in her adopted hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Furthermore, 359 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 1: as you might remember from this past election, Donald Trump's 360 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: history of philanthropic behavior is infamously difficult to point to. 361 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 1: Didn't he loan money to himself through his foundation? It's 362 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 1: such a hard to part situation, and I think purposefully 363 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:58,919 Speaker 1: so he has charitable efforts, but it's never quite clear 364 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,959 Speaker 1: how much money is actually going to those charities and 365 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: how much is sort of going to his own pockets. 366 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 1: Sketchy and I know I've said this a bunch of times, 367 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: and she opens her speech with it. But Oprah grew 368 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 1: up incredibly poor, born in in Mississippi to a teenage 369 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: single mother who worked as a housemaid. Reportedly, she was 370 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: so poor that she went to school wearing potato socks. 371 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 1: She later became pregnant at age fourteen as a result 372 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,440 Speaker 1: of sexual abuse, but her son was born pe maturely 373 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: and died shortly after birth. I mean, she does go 374 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: on the record and she's very candid about the fact 375 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: that she was first raped at nine years old, and 376 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: then again by other family members throughout the course of 377 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: her childhood and early adolescence, and so over is very 378 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: clear about that impact that those traumas had on her 379 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: life and why she's devoted her life's work to helping others. 380 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: I've seen her speak on the record about sort of 381 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: asking God to do with her what he will, basically 382 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: asking God to make her a vessel for good after 383 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: experiencing such trauma. I think that's an incredible demonstration of 384 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:14,880 Speaker 1: resilience and committing yourself to making an impact in this world, 385 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,639 Speaker 1: which she clearly has understatement of the century. Make an 386 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: impact she did. At seventeen, Oprah wanna Miss Black Tennessee 387 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: Beauty paget and was later hired by a local radio 388 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: station to read the news part time while she was 389 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: still in high school. At nineteen, she was offered a 390 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: job as the youngest and first black female news anchor 391 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: at Nashville's w l A C TV news station. Nineteen. 392 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: That's so young to be reading the news on TV. 393 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:42,440 Speaker 1: How did it happen? I love it. She was later 394 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 1: hired by w jay Z TV to co anchor the 395 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: evening news, but her emotional style didn't go down so 396 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,080 Speaker 1: well on a straight news program, so she was transferred 397 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: to an ailing daytime chat program, People Are Talking In, 398 00:22:56,760 --> 00:22:59,680 Speaker 1: which clearly got her thinking about how she could take 399 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: her talk show game to the next level exactly. There's 400 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: a really good episode of Stuff Bomb Ever Told You 401 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: with Caroline and Kristen where they break down Oprah's career 402 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: trajectory and how it really wasn't just a meteoric rise. 403 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: She had peaks and valleys and had to really deal 404 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: with early career failures and learn from those failures to 405 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 1: be the success that she is today. Again demonstrating her 406 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: resilience and ability to persevere beyond injustice and beyond trauma 407 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: and beyond failures. I think she makes our work Fails 408 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: episode look kind of sheepish. She really does. She absolutely does. 409 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: After hosting the chat program, people are talking, she had 410 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: clearly found her calling in she'd be located to Chicago 411 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,960 Speaker 1: to take over a morning chat show. Its name was 412 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: quickly changed from A M Chicago to The Oprah Winfrey Show. 413 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: It was syndicated nationally, quickly becoming the number one talk 414 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 1: show in the United States. And the rest is history. 415 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 1: And I think we know the rest. She's now got 416 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: her entire network and spin off of all kinds. So 417 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:08,920 Speaker 1: when we talk about Oprah as a Trump esque candidate, A, 418 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: it doesn't check out and be the fact that she 419 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: is a successful, celebrity billionaire is the only thing that 420 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: she has in common with Donald Trump, if you can 421 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,400 Speaker 1: even use the word successful. Yeah, they almost really couldn't 422 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 1: be less similar when you really think about it and 423 00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: put them side by side. And then there was this 424 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:30,959 Speaker 1: annoying rhetoric online that came from both Democrats and Republicans 425 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: and never in between saying that that made her somehow unqualified. 426 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:40,239 Speaker 1: And when I thought about how profound that speech was 427 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: and that a good speech alone doesn't make a president, 428 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: which was some of the rhetoric that was coming out 429 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: in these pieces of how unqualified you know Winfrey would be, 430 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,959 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm sorry, do you not recall another 431 00:24:54,080 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: incredible speech, another inspiring speech that launched an entire presidency. No, 432 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:02,760 Speaker 1: I'm not familiar. Who were you talking about? Who might 433 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: I be referencing a little known state senator that goes 434 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: by the name of Barack Obama two thousand and four 435 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: Democratic National Committee. Who the hell knows how this guy 436 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: even got on the stage quite frankly, which is how 437 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: he opened his speech saying, the idea of me even 438 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,720 Speaker 1: being here addressing this this audience is so unlikely. It's 439 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: hard to fathom, because now, former President Barack Obama was 440 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: just a state senator then and a candidate for U. S. 441 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 1: Senate to talk about not so qualified. It's not like 442 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: he had a robust political background, and he still became 443 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: the president that he was, and he still had the 444 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 1: impact that he had exactly, So there's definitely a precedent 445 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,840 Speaker 1: for a really inspiring, rousing speech to chart the path 446 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: to the Oval office, and we shouldn't pretend like that's 447 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: not the case. All those arguments toore of me nuts. 448 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: Another argument that I found unconvincing that came up on 449 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: social media after her speech was that she might be 450 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: a great orator, she might be a great entrepreneur, but 451 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,240 Speaker 1: we don't know anything about her politics, to which I 452 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: say false. Yet again, you don't need to have a 453 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: public policy background to have a clear stance on a 454 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 1: lot of issues. Exactly. When you actually parse some of 455 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,360 Speaker 1: her public statements, like speeches and things that she's talked 456 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 1: about on her show, you can actually get a picture 457 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,719 Speaker 1: of where she stands politically on a handful of issues. 458 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: Oprah favors increased background checks on guns. She's repeatedly spoken 459 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: out against legislative in action in the face of high 460 00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: profile mass shootings over the past several years. When getting 461 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,040 Speaker 1: a speech at Harvard, she clearly expressed support for creating 462 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 1: a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants here in the 463 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: United States. She's also into lgbt Q rights. Some of 464 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: the early episodes of her show, dealing with issues like 465 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: gay marriage and homophobia, are often credited by some sociologists 466 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: with popularizing LGBTQ acceptance in the press totally. And as 467 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 1: a very strong woman of faith, she was raised as 468 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: a Baptist, she really pushed back on the notion that 469 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: you couldn't be tolerant of gay people and be a 470 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: god fearing, you know, religious person, at one point saying, quote, 471 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: the God I serve doesn't care if you're tall or short, 472 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: or whether you were born black, or Asian or gay. 473 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: I love that. Something else that I find so fascinating 474 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:23,360 Speaker 1: about Oprah's political stances is that she's taken some really 475 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: lefty progressive stances way before doing so was cool or 476 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: popular exactly. She was an early critic of the war 477 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: in Iraq, producing an entire series called is War the 478 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: Only Answer? And it ran from early November of two 479 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,960 Speaker 1: thousand and two until March of two thousand three, even 480 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:43,479 Speaker 1: though that was a really unpopular thing to say at 481 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: the time. In the months following the September eleventh attacks, 482 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: Oprah goes on to say that this series is actually 483 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: one of the only times in her career that she's 484 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 1: faced intense intense criticism. She says I wanted set a 485 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: show titled is war the Only Answer? In the history 486 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 1: of my career, I've never received more hate mail, like 487 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: go back to Africa hate mail. I was accused of 488 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: being un American for even raising the question. What I 489 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: love about that is that it really shows that she's 490 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 1: someone who is able to take a political stance, and 491 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: even though she got heat for it, really continue having 492 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:19,400 Speaker 1: that stance. And that's the thing that I love so 493 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: much about how she's illustrated her political life on TV. 494 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: Now you may be thinking sign me up, put me 495 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: on an email list for I want to knock doors, 496 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 1: I want to make phone calls. But I want to 497 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: get into why not everyone is feeling open? After this 498 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: quick break and we're back now. We talked about all 499 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 1: the reasons why it actually might make sense to have 500 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: an open presidency. But let's talk through some of the 501 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 1: reasons why it might not be such a hot idea. 502 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 1: Here's what folks were saying. First, ironically, one of the 503 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: biggest reasons is what we opened the show talking about, 504 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: which is that she's a celebrity. Plenty of folks were saying, listen, 505 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: we don't have to double down on the fact that 506 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: Trump is our millionaire, billionaire, celebrity president. We don't have 507 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: to elect another one and say that is our new normal. 508 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: We don't have to have a back to back celeb 509 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: president is because Trump is our president. Now, Yeah, I'm 510 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 1: not buying it. I mean, I think I get the argument, 511 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,840 Speaker 1: which is that it's a populist one. It's people saying 512 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: we don't have to accept tacitly or proactively that celebrity 513 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: wealthy elites are the people who should be running our 514 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 1: country from now on, Whereas I would counter, wealthy elites 515 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: have always been running our country. This is a freaking 516 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: oligarchy in so many ways, especially since the passage of 517 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 1: Citizens United, which made unlimited campaign contributions the new normal. 518 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:58,600 Speaker 1: So until that goes away, wealthy people are the only 519 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: people that have a real shot at mainstream political success. Yeah, 520 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: I think I agree in some ways because I don't. 521 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 1: I don' wouldn't consider Barack Obama to be a wealthy 522 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: He didn't come from wealth. I mean, was the first 523 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 1: campaign cycle in which unlimited contributions were a thing. Barack 524 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,720 Speaker 1: Obama got in the door two eight, thank god, beforehand. 525 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: And I just think that wealth is one thing. I 526 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: would agree with this argument that celebrity is a new thing. 527 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: I mean, in every way, Barack Obama was an anomaly, 528 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: a total wonderful historical anomaly, and there's no new normal 529 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: precedent that's been set by the Obama presidency. Unfortunately, that 530 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: would be cool. But I think saying like, oh, if 531 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: we elect Oprah will somehow continue the trend that Trump 532 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: started is really a stretch in my book. I know 533 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: a lot of my super radical friends made the point 534 00:30:53,880 --> 00:30:57,640 Speaker 1: that do you really want political power in this country 535 00:30:57,640 --> 00:31:00,080 Speaker 1: to just be changing hands from one celebrity billion or 536 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: to another? And I can. I can understand that argument, 537 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,520 Speaker 1: I really really can. It's the same argument that there's 538 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:10,200 Speaker 1: the same super lefties who you know, I love, but 539 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: I get a little fed up with sometimes who said 540 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to like Hillary Clinton because it's continuing 541 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: a political dynasty. Because Hillary's husband was president, Hillary can't 542 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,120 Speaker 1: be president. See. I kind of agree with that a 543 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: little bit. I mean, I I obviously supported Hillary Clinton, 544 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 1: but I'm not a big fan of political families. I 545 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: like the idea of just mixing it up, and so 546 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: I didn't like the way that Bush one sort of 547 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: groomed Bush two, and for a while it seems like 548 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:42,240 Speaker 1: Jeb was gonna be in the mix. I thought that 549 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: was too much of one family. And so even though 550 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: that's an argument I could totally understand, it seems like 551 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: in a lot of cases it was being applied in 552 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: a way that was meant to knock her down. It 553 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: didn't seem genuine I'll put it that way. Well, and 554 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: this one does. That's my thing. I'm just saying ing, Yes, 555 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 1: perfection would be great. Can we have another different Barack Obama? Please? 556 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: Can we have someone who is an unlikely son of 557 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: an immigrant? Oh, I'm sorry, daughter of an immigrant would 558 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: be nice, who is not white but not necessarily the 559 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: same exact shade of black that Barack Obama is? Like? 560 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: Can we have something new and different? All the time, 561 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: I just think there's this impossibly high litmus test that 562 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: my very far left friends like to be the wise 563 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,000 Speaker 1: critic in the corner who says, oh, do you know 564 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:34,960 Speaker 1: how this person is not quite perfect? And to do 565 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: that to Oprah is like, you're missing the point. I 566 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: feel like I just really mocked very lengthy people. I 567 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: feel like you've got someone specifically in mind that you're 568 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: thinking of right now, saying I went through Ivy League school. 569 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: I've seen these professorial types who are like, yes, but 570 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: you know what's not perfect about this? I am so smart. 571 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: Let me show you with my explicit critique, how wise 572 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: I am. And it's much more about the critic than 573 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: the person in the ring. That's absolutely, absolutely true. And 574 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: I do think I don't want to sound too salty, 575 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: but I do think the last Stocratic primary kind of 576 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: gave us all an illustration of what that can look like. 577 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: When some candidates are treated as if they are super 578 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: pure and have never done anything wrong, and when they 579 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: go outside, birds fly and land on their finger because 580 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: they're made of magic and sunshine, and like, who is 581 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: this perfect candidate who has never done anything wrong, has 582 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,960 Speaker 1: no pass, has no baggage, good stances on everything, always 583 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: and always has Who is this person exactly? I feel 584 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: like it's the actually people, the people who want to 585 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: tell you how this person is imperfect in ways that 586 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: you might not know because they know that, and they 587 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: want to make sure that you know that they know that, 588 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: and that striving for perfectionism, which, by the way, women 589 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,360 Speaker 1: get held to a higher standard for than men do 590 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 1: it bothers me because I'm not interested in perfect I'm 591 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,080 Speaker 1: not interested in in passing litmus tests. I'm interested in 592 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: getting things done. And I know I've digressed on a 593 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 1: major RANTI tangent just now, but you can tell why 594 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: I sound like a moderate quite often is because I 595 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,800 Speaker 1: am definitely biased towards getting things done. And I think 596 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:24,000 Speaker 1: this whole conversation that cascaded from Oprah's incredible speech was 597 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,319 Speaker 1: let me point out the ways in which her potential 598 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:32,080 Speaker 1: future hypothetical presidency would be imperfect. Well, even though I 599 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: don't know that we're on the same page entirely on this, 600 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: I completely agree with that because I saw so many 601 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:41,280 Speaker 1: of my political insidery friends taking such glee and pointing 602 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,799 Speaker 1: out all of the reasons why this hypothetical thing that 603 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: we just all sort of talking about because of a 604 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,360 Speaker 1: good speech she made, why it wouldn't make sense. I 605 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,280 Speaker 1: found that to be incredibly reductive and frustrated. And unfortunately, 606 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: if I were oprah A that response would have turned 607 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,560 Speaker 1: me off from running already and be there are already 608 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:06,440 Speaker 1: polls being conducted immediately following her speech, and spoiler alert, 609 00:35:06,520 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: they didn't go so well. Politicals poll found that just 610 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: of the nearly two thousand registered voters surveyed actually want 611 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: her to compete for the White House in fifty nine, 612 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: on the other hand, think she shouldn't run, and sevent 613 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: said they weren't sure or had no opinion. So people 614 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:29,720 Speaker 1: seemed very not actually into a win free presidency, despite 615 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,399 Speaker 1: what Twitter and my news feed had to say about it. Well, 616 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,399 Speaker 1: I think that makes sense because when you look at 617 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: how presidential politics tends to work, political didn't really good 618 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,239 Speaker 1: job of pointing out how it often can work on 619 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: a pendulum where what people want one one presidential cycle 620 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: is not what they want the next one. So if 621 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 1: they want someone like George W. Bush the next time around, 622 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: they're gonna want somebody different. And so we sort of 623 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: go back and forth and back and forth. And so 624 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 1: even if you're not maybe convinced that having Oprah be 625 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,080 Speaker 1: the next president will establish this trap end of all 626 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:05,760 Speaker 1: of our presidents being these you know, TV star millionaires, billionaires, billionaires. 627 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,880 Speaker 1: I keep saying millionaires. You said millionaire billionaires. Would listen, 628 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: she has more money that we could million billion dollars. 629 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: It's probably she's so rich. It's probably new denominations of 630 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,080 Speaker 1: money that we don't even know about, like, oh, I'm 631 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,520 Speaker 1: a Gonda. They're like, you don't even know she has 632 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 1: different phrases for her money. I'm sure, but yeah, And 633 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: so even if you're not convinced that this is going 634 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: to set some dangerous precedent of celebrity presidents, it could 635 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:37,160 Speaker 1: just be that voters after Trump would want something very different, 636 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: because politics tends to work on that pendulum. Yeah. I 637 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:44,439 Speaker 1: think you're absolutely right, And that's where really understanding what 638 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:48,279 Speaker 1: Oprah would be as a president might be important. And 639 00:36:48,320 --> 00:36:50,480 Speaker 1: I know we discussed some of the political stances that 640 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:52,880 Speaker 1: she has come out with, but a lot of people 641 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: did rightfully, I think, say that we can't postulate, we 642 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: can't really assume what kind of a president Oprah would be. 643 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: She definitely seems like a pretty liberal person on the 644 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: social issues, but there's still a lot about an Oprah 645 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: president that we can't assume in terms of how she 646 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: might treat I don't know, issues like education totally. It's 647 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,960 Speaker 1: important to point out that Oprah donated six million dollars 648 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 1: to six charter school organizations through Angel Network Charitable Foundation. 649 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 1: And I don't want to get into the whole thing 650 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 1: about charter schools. But I think for many advocates of 651 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 1: public education this might be a problem. Yeah, and we 652 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,719 Speaker 1: know that teachers unions are a big part of the 653 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: Democratic Party apparatus that they are emily. Furthermore, Oprah has 654 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,200 Speaker 1: received some criticism for what has been perceived as getting 655 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 1: platforms to folks who might have dubious or anti science backgrounds. 656 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 1: I'm talking folks like Dr Phil, Doctor Oz and Jennie McCartney, 657 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 1: who she gave a position blogging on oprah dot com. Yeah, 658 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:56,319 Speaker 1: she was notorious for her anti vaccinations. Chances, we know 659 00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 1: Dr Phil and dctr Oz have some struable relationships to science. 660 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,040 Speaker 1: Not to mention the way Dr Phil gives advice makes 661 00:38:05,080 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 1: me want to stock him in the face. And he's 662 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: been recently accused of putting addicts and other vulnerable folks 663 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,880 Speaker 1: who come on a show in danger, giving them booze, 664 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,239 Speaker 1: giving them pills to make good TV. Oh my god. Yeah, 665 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,160 Speaker 1: he's pretty despicable. I'm not a fan. To me, it 666 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,359 Speaker 1: really comes down to the idea that Oprah is not 667 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: someone who's been groomed to be in public office, and 668 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,920 Speaker 1: so of course there are going to be things in 669 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: her background that you might say, oh, you know that 670 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:31,759 Speaker 1: I have questions about that or that seems problematic, And 671 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:33,680 Speaker 1: I think people are right to point out the ways 672 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,880 Speaker 1: in which she might have stances that might not be 673 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:40,040 Speaker 1: so progressive. She's an imperfect human like all of us, 674 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: shocking all of us. Again, I'm not super persuaded by 675 00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 1: the how dare you think of her as a candidate 676 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 1: for any of the reasons we've named thus far. But 677 00:38:51,239 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 1: there is one argument that gave me pause. There's one 678 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:58,360 Speaker 1: argument that I saw from some of my most fierce 679 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:04,000 Speaker 1: advocate friends who tended to be women of color, and 680 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,320 Speaker 1: that argument was and this is what gave me pause 681 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,400 Speaker 1: as I'm sitting there already, you know, four tweets deep 682 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: with the hashtag Oprah, when I see my friends saying, 683 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, if you expect black women to clean up 684 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: this mess for America, you need to examine your privilege 685 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,800 Speaker 1: and what that says about you. And that one caused 686 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:28,240 Speaker 1: me to take pause. What were your thoughts on that argument? Well, first, 687 00:39:28,320 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 1: I think I felt defensive. Uh, my white guilt kicked 688 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: in and I was like, is it wrong that I 689 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: love Oprah? And I'm like, is it racist of me? 690 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,279 Speaker 1: To want Oprah to run for president, and I mean, 691 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,600 Speaker 1: I don't know, I'm I'm I'm curious what you think 692 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:53,640 Speaker 1: of that, bridget, because I understand how rightfully indignant a 693 00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: lot of women of color must feel when we see 694 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:59,880 Speaker 1: the Democratic Party time and again rely on black women 695 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:03,319 Speaker 1: to be the most reliable voting block, to be the 696 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 1: backbone of the Democratic Party, and then for the Democratic 697 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:09,520 Speaker 1: Party to not always return the favor. I get that, 698 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:15,799 Speaker 1: but that to me doesn't translate into, hey, white girl 699 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,319 Speaker 1: tweeting hashtag over, you're a racist. So I think it's 700 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: a nuanced argument. I don't think that if you're saying 701 00:40:22,080 --> 00:40:25,960 Speaker 1: Oprah run for president that you're a racist. But I 702 00:40:26,000 --> 00:40:29,680 Speaker 1: think that it is important to understand the cultural and 703 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 1: political and social landscape in which you are advocating for 704 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: someone who has not expressed interest in doing this to 705 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: get involved. Like, we are a country that loves to 706 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: talk about how much you want to put women of 707 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 1: color at the forefront, but we are then not a 708 00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:47,439 Speaker 1: country that supports or listens to those very same women, 709 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,840 Speaker 1: And so you can't say that both ways. I really 710 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 1: liked how Derek Clifton put it over at Box. He wrote, nonetheless, 711 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 1: became the next big thing, which reinforced a troubling pattern. 712 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:00,080 Speaker 1: Black women are expected to do the work of cleaning 713 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,600 Speaker 1: up political message despite living in a country that often 714 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:06,000 Speaker 1: fails to reward, respect and protect them. Instead of accepting 715 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,040 Speaker 1: Winfrey's pointed speech for what it was, the oratory was 716 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:12,319 Speaker 1: spun as a beacon from a beloved magic savior here 717 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:15,279 Speaker 1: to quote, save the country from Donald Trump. But why 718 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 1: is that her or any other black woman's job? And 719 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,839 Speaker 1: I get that. I think we saw that in the 720 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:25,360 Speaker 1: Alabama election when black women came out in droves to 721 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:29,319 Speaker 1: make sure that an alleged child molester Slash can't go 722 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,880 Speaker 1: to the mall because he's kind of a creep racist, 723 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:35,799 Speaker 1: Like did he get elected? Banned from the mall? Creep? Exactly. 724 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:38,720 Speaker 1: If you listen to our Women in White Supremacy episode, 725 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 1: you know that so many times political power in this 726 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:47,400 Speaker 1: country has been people of color and black women, especially 727 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:51,880 Speaker 1: saving White America from themselves. Exactly. I think it's that 728 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:57,399 Speaker 1: savior feel like Oprah save us, which is lazy, uh 729 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:01,239 Speaker 1: and it's half baked, Like I can see where it 730 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:03,360 Speaker 1: would be annoying, kind of like the Women's March feel 731 00:42:03,800 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 1: I guess It's a timely reference given the anniversary just past, 732 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,880 Speaker 1: but it's the same kind of annoyance that black women 733 00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:13,359 Speaker 1: rightfully have watching a bunch of white women come out 734 00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,279 Speaker 1: for the first time in four years and say we care. 735 00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: You know what I mean, Like, I get it if 736 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: there's a ton of a non voting white women or 737 00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:26,640 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, white women who the majority of whom voted 738 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:33,880 Speaker 1: for Donald Trump saying hashtag Oprah, I get where. It's like, sure, 739 00:42:33,920 --> 00:42:36,359 Speaker 1: you say you want Oprah to save us, but are 740 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: you really going to do the work? Are you really 741 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:40,839 Speaker 1: going to support her when the goale gets tough? Are 742 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,560 Speaker 1: you really going to be there when she needs your money, 743 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:45,600 Speaker 1: when she needs you to knock doors, when she needs 744 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 1: you to do more than tweet about it? And I 745 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:51,040 Speaker 1: think that's perfectly righteous. I also think that I, as 746 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:53,200 Speaker 1: a white woman who did not vote for Donald Trump, 747 00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:56,879 Speaker 1: for the record, got immediately defensive, which is just what 748 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:59,640 Speaker 1: white people and white guilt does to you sometimes. I 749 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: can totally understand that. I would also say for all 750 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,880 Speaker 1: of those folks out there who were valiantly tweeting a 751 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:09,439 Speaker 1: way that you can harness that feeling that you got 752 00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 1: when you watched Opra make that speech, and why you 753 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 1: got so excited is to make sure you're supporting other 754 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 1: black women who already have their hats in the ring 755 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:18,560 Speaker 1: for running for office. So if you're gonna go out 756 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,600 Speaker 1: there and tweet, are you supporting the black woman running 757 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,560 Speaker 1: for governor or running for dog catcher or running for 758 00:43:25,560 --> 00:43:28,160 Speaker 1: whatever in your town? How are you showing up for her? So, 759 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:31,399 Speaker 1: don't just know advocate for the political power of black 760 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:33,719 Speaker 1: women when it's Oprah. Make sure that you're doing it 761 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,880 Speaker 1: down the line. Yes, And if you are looking for 762 00:43:36,920 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: the women of color who are running for office near you, 763 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:41,439 Speaker 1: there are two great rundowns that we want to point 764 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,520 Speaker 1: you to. You'll find these links in the show notes, 765 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:48,040 Speaker 1: but you can also just google Awesomely Lovey. That's l 766 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:50,920 Speaker 1: u v v i E if you don't know her already, 767 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:54,319 Speaker 1: who wrote a great post back in December titled a 768 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:57,600 Speaker 1: list of one hundred plus black women running for office 769 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: in there's also right up in Refinery twenty nine from 770 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:05,840 Speaker 1: Lily Herman that came out right after oprah speech, titled 771 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:08,200 Speaker 1: Oprah isn't running, but there are plenty of black women 772 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:12,120 Speaker 1: politicians who need our support, So go check it out, 773 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:15,279 Speaker 1: go to their campaign websites, get on their lists, and 774 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 1: put your money where your mouth is. Until we have 775 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,600 Speaker 1: an Oprah Winfrey dot org site to go to and 776 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:24,879 Speaker 1: support her exactly, I completely completely support people doing that. 777 00:44:25,400 --> 00:44:27,920 Speaker 1: I also think one of the more nuanced reasons I 778 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:31,239 Speaker 1: saw that people were skittish about an Oprah presidency is 779 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: kind of a thoughtful one. We lose our Oprah when 780 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:39,520 Speaker 1: somebody runs for president. That whatever warm, fuzzy happy feeling 781 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:42,160 Speaker 1: you have about them kind of goes away because they're 782 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 1: the one deciding whether to send a drone strike. They're 783 00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 1: the one deciding what your insurance looks like. They're the 784 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 1: one deciding what your immigration policy looks like. And as 785 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:52,920 Speaker 1: much as we love Oprah, would we still love her 786 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,720 Speaker 1: if she was making all those kinds of decisions. Ira 787 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: Madison points out over at The Daily Beast. I recognize 788 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:02,480 Speaker 1: that Oprah doesn't subverber rate emotionally in Hollywood but in 789 00:45:02,520 --> 00:45:05,520 Speaker 1: America as a whole. But do you understand why that is? 790 00:45:05,640 --> 00:45:08,560 Speaker 1: It's because Oprah doesn't decide how much you pay taxes, 791 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,239 Speaker 1: Open doesn'ts in drone strikes, Open doesn't have to be 792 00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:15,160 Speaker 1: friendly with racist, homophobic, or misogynistic politicians to pass legislation, 793 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:20,240 Speaker 1: and that is so true. That's real, that's really real. Yeah, 794 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,920 Speaker 1: the pragmatist in me might not want Oprah to become 795 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:27,799 Speaker 1: a pragmatist, like, because it stands to reason that maybe 796 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:30,919 Speaker 1: she could do more not as president than she could 797 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 1: as president. Oh yeah, I mean, I think there's a 798 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:38,560 Speaker 1: very solid argument if I were her to just continue 799 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,319 Speaker 1: affecting change as she is, Like, she can affect a 800 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:43,840 Speaker 1: ton of change as a private citizen, for sure. Barack 801 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:46,359 Speaker 1: Obama is doing that now definitely. But then again, there's 802 00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:49,040 Speaker 1: another part of me. He's like, if women avoid the 803 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:52,239 Speaker 1: quote dirty work of politics, Hey, I don't feel like 804 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:56,760 Speaker 1: that's a particularly feminist stance, and be I think women 805 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:00,040 Speaker 1: are the only ones who can make politics not it 806 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:03,839 Speaker 1: is dirty, and who can actually improve the system itself. Well, 807 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:06,359 Speaker 1: we've actually done studies that show that women who run 808 00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:09,279 Speaker 1: for office actually tend to do so not because they 809 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:11,840 Speaker 1: want a flashy career, but because they want to get 810 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:15,839 Speaker 1: done exactly. So I don't know, I'm I'm tormented. I mean, 811 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:20,160 Speaker 1: after reviewing all of these arguments, I think the only 812 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:24,040 Speaker 1: thing I could agree on for sure is that I'm 813 00:46:24,080 --> 00:46:28,040 Speaker 1: annoyed by this conversation. Yes, it is an annoying conversation. 814 00:46:28,080 --> 00:46:30,239 Speaker 1: And I think one of the reasons why it's so 815 00:46:30,239 --> 00:46:33,920 Speaker 1: annoying is that we're now talking about this hypothetical situation 816 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,280 Speaker 1: where an Oprah runs for president in a couple of years, 817 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,439 Speaker 1: and we've lost sight of the fact that she made 818 00:46:39,440 --> 00:46:43,000 Speaker 1: this amazing speech and what she was actually saying. Lost 819 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:46,080 Speaker 1: in the entire should she shouldn't she conversation is the 820 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: point of her speech, which, if you look about it, 821 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: isn't really actually about her. It's about us. If anything, 822 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:54,239 Speaker 1: it sounds like she's urging us, that's you and me 823 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:56,680 Speaker 1: and all the listeners out there, to run for office 824 00:46:56,719 --> 00:47:00,000 Speaker 1: if you want to make change. Yeah. Instead of argue 825 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:04,480 Speaker 1: going on Twitter about a hypothetical Oprah presidency, I think 826 00:47:04,480 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 1: we should allow Oprah to do what Oprah does best 827 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:11,160 Speaker 1: and inspire others and inspire us to rise to the 828 00:47:11,160 --> 00:47:15,080 Speaker 1: occasion and be our best selves. And whether she inspires 829 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:18,479 Speaker 1: us as a nation from the Oval office or as 830 00:47:18,520 --> 00:47:22,080 Speaker 1: a private citizen is not up to us. But what 831 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 1: is up to us is what we choose to do 832 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 1: with our time, with our effort, with our energy, and 833 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:30,920 Speaker 1: with our absolutely that exact sentiment is what resonated with 834 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:33,560 Speaker 1: me so much. There's this great place in Slate by 835 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:36,759 Speaker 1: Dahlia Lithwick where she points out what I heard an 836 00:47:36,760 --> 00:47:39,000 Speaker 1: Oprah speech wasn't a bid to save us all, but 837 00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:42,439 Speaker 1: rather a powerful charge to young girls watching at home 838 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:45,480 Speaker 1: to tell their own stories, to fight for their own values, 839 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,080 Speaker 1: and to battle injustice with the certainty that they will 840 00:47:48,080 --> 00:47:51,520 Speaker 1: be seen and heard. So really, it isn't about Oprah 841 00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:54,920 Speaker 1: at all, but rather it's about us, just like Oprah 842 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: said herself. So I want all the girls watching here 843 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:03,560 Speaker 1: now to know that a new day is on the horizon, 844 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:16,760 Speaker 1: and when that new day finally dawns, it will be 845 00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:21,319 Speaker 1: because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom 846 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:24,800 Speaker 1: are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty 847 00:48:24,960 --> 00:48:31,240 Speaker 1: phenomenal men finding hard to make sure that they become 848 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:35,960 Speaker 1: the leaders who take us to the time when nobody 849 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:44,320 Speaker 1: ever has to say me too again, thank you. So 850 00:48:44,719 --> 00:48:46,839 Speaker 1: you gotta do what Oprah says and get out there 851 00:48:46,880 --> 00:48:49,160 Speaker 1: and be the change. Don't just wait for open to 852 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,200 Speaker 1: do it for you. I love that. Minty listeners, we 853 00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:55,560 Speaker 1: are dying to hear what you think about this. What 854 00:48:55,719 --> 00:48:58,480 Speaker 1: is your take? What is your take on everyone else's take. 855 00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:00,960 Speaker 1: What is your take on our take at everyone else's take, 856 00:49:01,239 --> 00:49:04,719 Speaker 1: Tweet at us at mom Stuff Podcast, find us on 857 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 1: Instagram at stuff Mom Never Told You, And as always, 858 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:10,880 Speaker 1: we love your emails. Hit us stuff at mom Stuff 859 00:49:10,880 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com. Women whose names will 860 00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:20,319 Speaker 1: never know. They are domestic workers, farm workers. This is 861 00:49:20,320 --> 00:49:23,640 Speaker 1: my Oprah's terrible. They're in part, they're in part of 862 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:25,920 Speaker 1: the world and text and politics and business. There are 863 00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:33,120 Speaker 1: athletes and olympics. There are soldiers in the military. Okay,