The Oprah Infatuation: Dems place personality over policy
Jan 22, 2018, 10:27 AM
The unbounded enthusiasm for Oprah Winfrey’s prospective presidential run illustrates the Democrats’ tendency to prioritize personality above policy. No one knows where Oprah stands on issues of the day, or what style of governance she’d favor, but Democrats know she’s a popular personality and that’s enough for them.
Barack Obama enjoyed similar popularity among Democrats: his brief pre-White House career displayed few practical achievements or even a coherent philosophy, but inspiring speeches about hope and change gave him an almost magical appeal.
In approaching President Trump, of course, Democrats also prefer to ignore substance and to concentrate on style: they emphasize the president’s volatile personality and dismiss his undeniable record of first year accomplishment. Liberals would rather scold the latest obnoxious presidential tweet than consider the booming economy or the lowest black unemployment rate ever measured.
The GOP shouldn’t help them in this effort, but must focus relentlessly on the nation’s pressing issues rather than the president’s polarizing personality.