It's past time for Oprah to step up

Remember her words during the campaign - "He's the one." I do, and remember thinking when I heard them that we were going to have our first black President. No question about it: she sparked a lot of life (and votes) into Barack's eventual victory.

Now it's time for her to do a show on health care that does NOT include insurance executives, lobbyists, politicians or pundit tools. Let's have some "real folks" come on and tell their horror stories about losing their jobs and coverage at the same time, rising deductibles and co-pays, post-poned surgery, being denied for pre-existing conditions, passing up unaffordable medication, etc., etc. Millions watch her show and seeing the faces of our health care nightmare would bring it home.

I don't watch her much. Maybe in September?

I think she is still in reruns.

Oprah running with the stories told by real people would tip the scales--and may be a reason why she hasn't stepped up.

point of view on this matter -- and if she can put multiple books on the NYT bestseller list, then she might move the poll numbers slightly if she advocated for health care reform. Remember what happened when she said she would stop eating beef? This support could make a major difference. As the poster suggested, Oprah should run shows on those who thought they had adequate insurance but then found out they didn't once they (or spouses) were diagnosed with a major disease. Say whatever about Oprah -- but she could make a difference here.

and tell these people where their taxes go already like these wars etc..

for an Oprah show is that you wouldn't have any Hitler posters or "No socialized medicine" signs or screamers and disrupters. It might even greatly negate these over-exposed beligerant town halls.

Yeah, I remember her alright.

Couldn't care less what she has to say on any subject.

x(

but what her guests would say.

:-)

admired by millions who watch her show and buy her magazines.

another thread you're not wishing for failure yet here you are, attacking an idea that would get the word out to millions?

Yeah, ok. She backed Obama, so fuck her and those Americans who watch her show right?

How pathetic. As the poster said, it wouldn't be Oprah, it would be stories from Americans WITHOUT health care. Grow the hell up and get over the fucking primaries.

I already have parents.

:eyes:

and buy a $10,000 handbag was the cruelest thing that has ever happened to anyone since the death of Torquemada.

what would Gayle say?

Then they can skip across the state line to Iowa and make it official.

Okay, I enjoyed that one.

:evilgrin:

:toast:

I agree. Oprah would be a GREAT forum for Obama.

if not, it just proves that her participation in the election process had NOTHING to do with issues.

Welcome to DU!

... an audience that contains a fair number of people who will buy anything she tells them to ... believe anything she tells them to.

So I think her having a forum -- without the yahoo nimrods screaming and waving Nazi pictures -- would do this issue a world of good.

Again ... I don't care what she thinks. But she could help this country by addressing the issue on her show and getting all her acolytes to FOCUS.

who previously didn't have healthcare and pays for their healthcare for a year to see how it affects them.

But then I was like, that's depressing for when she would stop helping them.

But we will have to wait until fall to find out because all her shows are reruns now.

This issue is too important to wait and it's timely NOW.

Her foray into politics was a one-time "offer". She's always sidestepped important issues.

Where was she when Bush stole the election in 2000?

Did she have show after show, pointing out how insane our election system really is?

Where was she in 2003 when a bogus war was being cooked up"

Did she have shows about how it was all phony?

Where was she in 2004 when Bush manipulated Ohio & stole another one?

Did she have more shows about election fraud?

She has a LARGE staff and has at LEAST the same access as we all have, but she chose to step back, and to concentrate on her "favorite things", & make overs & pop culture stuff..

I think she was really surprised to see all the vitriol directed at her when she did put her toe into politics for Obama..

unmistakably and undeniably. Ratings would be through the roof.
I could be doing some wishful thinking here, but didn't she have Michael Moore on when "Sicko" came out?

she took one step off the fence for Obama, but that's probably it.

She is so self-absorbed, anything she does that appears generous or compassionate is just to put herself in the limelight.

She may take on the issue, if it would help paint her as St. Oprah, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Her show has never been political. Why people are suddenly expecting her to be a mouthpiece for the left is kind of baffling.

She's always been apolitical, except for one time:)

Particularly since most of her audience are white women who believed that she supported other women. So many of them left comments on her site that it crashed.

oprah has to do the right thing and that is telling the truth...PAY OR DIE, we've never been more ready for single payer/public option than right now!!!:fistbump:

Good first post - welcome to DU.:hi:

n/t

"It's NOW time for Oprah to step up?":eyes:

I don't think it's her responsibility to "step up." She's not a politician or a member of the Obama administration, she's just a talk show host. It's not her job to "step up" anymore than it is Tyra Bank's job to "step up."

Besides that, which really is a minor detail, I agree with you.

Don't hold your breath.

fulfilling her promise to Nelson Mandela because "the only thing Oprah's interested in is Oprah."

when it comes to giving gifts to her fans.

She makes 260 million dollars a year, and bothered to... waitasec.

Okay, while trying to find facts to justify my "snarky" post, I found this:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21914120-2703,00.html

"She donated more than $US50 million of her fortune to charity last year. "

So, she's been donating 20% of her income to charity. Impressive.

Not that I don't see your point - it's a desperate situation and she has the power to make a difference - but the idea of Americans access to decent affordable health care being influenced by whether or not that bloated idiot deigns to speak on the subject is inexpressably depressing to me.

I think this country took a mean, hard wrong turn when we went from Phil Donohue to Oprah Winfrey. Donohue would have done 20 shows on the health care crisis by now, with a strong case made for single payer too.

I'm pretty sure Oprah did do a show on this back when Sicko came out. I recall it prominently featured insurance industry super-lobbyist Karen Ignagni, so that gives you some idea what you can expect from Oprah.

"I think this country took a mean, hard wrong turn when we went from Phil Donohue to Oprah Winfrey."

Because I was wondering if perhaps the OP had confused Oprah for Phil.

It's the sound of pom poms!

not otherwise hear it on faux. Or r/w radio.

It has nothing to do with leadership but viewers who might be misinformed. She has a massive audience.

I am not a huge Oprah fan myself - rarely watch her show and don't buy her magazine. Her show is mostly about her (unless Tom Cruise is jumping up and down on her couch). But she is an enormously successful and influential icon who does see the face of humanity. People watch and respond to her because of the unlikely, incredible journey she's travelled. She's undoubtedly swamped by people who want something from her - money or endorsements - but I think health care with a human interest storyline is something she'd consider sinking her teeth into. Apart from her friendship and support of both the Obamas.

of YOUR viewers?

as to why we need an option that does not care if you have chronic pain, can't pay, pre-existing conditions, not medically necessary and all the other carefully worded industry blocks that have far to long been getting inbetween doctor and patient medical treatment.

no chance she'll do it.

She'd never risk alienating any of her viewers.

You're totally right she could save the day on this issue.