WASHINGTON (ViaNews) – Her speech at the Golden Globe Awards has turned into a social media storm and has launched a firestorm on social media.
Talk show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and gave an acceptance speech that has stirred discussion over the possibility of Winfrey making a run at the White House in 2020.
“I want all of the girls watching here now to know, that a new day is on the horizon.” @Oprah accepts the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille award. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/hbquC1GBjm
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
While Winfrey has never publicly discussed a presidential run, the speech sparked speculation that the media mogul may consider it. The speech even drew praise from President Donald Trump’s daughter and special advisor to the president Ivanka Trump.
Just saw @Oprah's empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #United https://t.co/vpxUBJnCl7
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 9, 2018
The prospect of a run in 2020 did have some Democrats suggesting the possibility would be ‘exciting.’ But, not all Democrats were encouraged by the prospect of having a ‘celebrity’ like Winfrey as the party’s candidate in 2020.
“Maybe we should just elect the president after a special week-long edition of ‘Survivor,’” Democratic strategist Jonathan Tasini wrote in an email on Monday, to The Hill.
But, because of Trump’s victory in 2016, the thought of a presidential candidate without conventional political experience is not far from the realm of possibility.
Some women in Congress, like Rep. Jackie Speier, D-California, even showed support for a potential presidential run for Winfrey.
Run, Oprah, run! An army of women would fight for you in #2020election #2020prah
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 8, 2018
Former Obama senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer tweeted the idea of Winfrey running for president was not that off-the-wall.
I slept on it and came to the conclusion that the Oprah thing isn't that crazy
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) January 8, 2018
Even Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton told The Hill that Winfrey would present electoral issues for Trump, whose approval poll numbers are still under 40%, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. Singleton said Winfrey “already has name recognition” and could unite several factions of the population.
And, it is because of Trump’s win that the door to a potential presidential run is open to a political novice like Winfrey.
John Street, author of “Celebrity Politician” told The Hill. “You can’t say Oprah can’t do it, because Trump did it.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Winfrey has hit the campaign trail. In 2007, she actively campaigned for Obama in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, according to CNN. Tens of thousands of people came to all three locations to hear Winfrey and Obama speak, CNN said.
If nothing else, the prospect of a Winfrey presidency has been ‘discussed’ before:
'The Boondocks' predicted an Oprah 2020 win… 12 years ago https://t.co/L8O1GLBkl6 pic.twitter.com/jOtTk1ecnl
— CNN (@CNN) January 9, 2018