The Politics of Oprah Winfrey, Activist & Philanthropist

Oprah Winfrey, a woman who's seen and done almost everything, will participate in a first for her this weekend: campaign appearances on behalf of a political candidate, Sen. Barack Obama.

"I don't consider myself political," Oprah commented in 2004. And the record backs her up. Oprah has never before publicly endorsed either a political party or a candidate. But some detractors believe very differently about Oprah and politics...

Oprah said that as she watched Obama deliver his inspiring 2004 Democratic convention speech, she thought, "This is something above and beyond politics."

Can Oprah Winfrey.... billionaire philanthropist, named among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century, host of the highest rated TV talk show in history... cause Americans to vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming Democratic presidential primaries? Can she convince American women to switch their support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama?

And is this politics as usual? Has Oprah finally damaged her non-partisan brand by jumping into the political fray? Or does Obama's candidacy transcend political labels, as Oprah believes?

We'll find out soon as Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama make two joint appearances in Iowa on December 8, this Saturday, and one each in New Hampshire and South Carolina on December 9, where an event has been forced to move to the 80,250-seat University of South Carolina stadium due to overwheliming demand for tickets.

Meanwhile, take the time to read my new article (and some intriguing Oprah quotes about Obama and Hillary Clinton) about a fascinating and generous woman, The Politics of Oprah Winfrey, Activist & Philanthropist.

(Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Oprah Watch

Last week Oprah was on top of the world with good movie reviews and positive caucuses. Ah, how things can change in a week. Now, Oprah and FOO(Friends of Oprah) are having a bit of a rough time.

Rumblings are that Oprah and long-time boyfriend Stedman are on the outs. Rumors are that Oprah has cut Stedman Graham out of her will and her money will go to various charities and her three (future) adopted daughters. Chicagoist assumes much of this story is bunk, as the only source of the story is the National Enquirer.

FOO Dr. Phil has gotten himself in hot Britney Spears water. After Britney's three-hour standoff with police last week, Dr. Phil was called in by the family to help. Dr. Phil walks in; states the obvious to any media that will listen, then plans a one-hour show detailing the poor girl's problems without consent. What a charmer. Luckily for Dr. Phil, a true gentleman has taken his side. Lindsay Lohan's father says, "He's out trying to reach out to Britney. When someone tries to do something good, there's a negative spin put on it." Charmer #2, Electric Bugaloo.

But wait, there's more...

FOO Jessica Seinfeld, who sent Oprah 21 pairs of shoes in October, is being sued for plagiarism by Missy Chase Lapine. Seinfeld's book, titled Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food shot up the best-seller list after Seinfeld was on Oprah's show. Lapine's book is titled The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kid's Favorite Meals. We have not read either cookbook, but the titles do seem remarkably similar. Lupine is also suing Jerry Seinfeld for defamation in regards to what Seinfeld said about Lupine on Letterman's show.

What we think is really happening is Oprah and friends are just going stir crazy because of all the damn reruns -- we know we are. This past week we watched hidden gay lesbians come out of their closets, watched SJP market her wares and we have to admit, giggled secretly when Dr. Oz forced Oprah to touch the biggest, yuckiest tape worm ever.

Next week we have all new episodes (yay!), starting with Bob Greene's million-viewer Best Life Challenge on Monday. We signed up for the fitness challenge many moons ago and have been waiting patiently for it to start, so bring it Bob Greene, bring it like you can sing it. Oprah is also going to announce her book club book, so get ready to read something sad about a woman who has problems but overcomes them!

Oprah Winfrey!!!

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954), often referred to simply as Oprah, is an American television host and media mogul. Her internationally-syndicated talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, has earned her multiple Emmy Awards and is the highest-rated talk show in the history of television. She is also an influential book critic, an Academy Award-nominated actress, and a magazine publisher. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the most philanthropic African American of all time, and the world’s only black billionaire for three straight years. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.

Born in rural Mississippi to a poor unwed teenaged mother, and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood, Winfrey was raped at the age of nine, and at fourteen, gave birth to a son who died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated.

Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claimed broke 20th century taboos and allowed gays, transsexuals, and transgender people to enter the mainstream. By the mid 1990s she had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. Though criticized for unleashing confession culture and promoting controversial self-help fads, she is generally admired for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others.