The political news cycle has been abuzz since the Golden Globe ceremonies about a speech by Oprah Winfrey that many believe indicates she may run against Donald Trump for the presidency in 2020. For anyone who missed that speech, it’s a must-see.
For so many Americans, Oprah is a national treasure who is loved and respected around the globe. Her former daytime talk show ran for 25 years and dominated the ratings throughout that time. She is the perfect counterpoint for Donald Trump, whose reality television show The Apprentice began to tanklargely toward its last few years, drawing only seven million viewers in its entire final Trump season, ending with a ranking of #67 in prime time.
This gives me chills. A new day is on the horizon. Thank you @Oprah https://t.co/D4SiQb2QOE
— Lori McGrath (@thewritemama) January 9, 2018
I’ve loved Oprah since I was 13. I remember getting off the bus coming home from high school and turning on the TV to watch what was still remaining of her show. She was empowering and full of life. All of my friends made fun of me when (at 14) I said “I saw that on Oprah!”
— Laura Oganowski (@loganowski) January 9, 2018
Id vote for @Oprah in a heartbeat https://t.co/rxunDKHIZi
— Arnie John Runge? (@ArnieJohnRunge) January 9, 2018
Think about it, every politician at the national level is a celebrity now. I’d rather have a thoughtful, insightful and intelligent celebrity like Oprah than most professional politicians in office right now
— Larry V. Swall, Atty (@LSwallFamLaw) January 9, 2018
For others, the outrage machine has already begun. No matter who runs on the Democratic ticket in 2020, Trump’s rabid fan base will find a reason to hate them. Most of their reasons are completely hypocritical considering the man they voted in as president in 2016.
Dear Oprah, I Worked in Middle America for 20 Years Where We Don't Treat Women Like Cheap Whores https://t.co/JgPlC7Lyua
— Silver Fox (@SilverFoxOO7) January 9, 2018
If @Oprah was Presidential material, she would have called out all the men and women in the audience who knew sexual harassment was going on and ignored it. She didn’t! She wasn’t honest. She just played to the room. Shame on her!
— Kath Mann (@KathMann1313) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/chr1xzy/status/950777762964324352
For Breitbart’s readers, open racism is just a matter of course on Twitter. Unlike some of Trump’s cabinet members, who use dog whistle racism to speak to the most deplorable among Trump’s base, many readers of the alt-right white nationalist website don’t even try to cover up their disgust at the idea of a black female president.
In a story from Breitbart News, a broadcast in which Tea Party activist and Breitbart contributor Sonnie Johnson spoke about Oprah’s potential run was coverd. Johson, a black female American, discussed how important black female voters are to the Democratic party.
‘Black women are the bread and butter of the Democratic Party. They show up every single election. Even a lot in midterms, a lot of what the Democrats procure vote-wise is black women. They’re very active for the Democratic Party. That is the truth.’
“Even a lot in midterms, a lot of what the Democrats procure vote-wise is black women. They’re very active for the Democratic Party. That is the truth.” https://t.co/gosK3WI2uN
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 9, 2018
Note the quote listed as the lede to the tweet’s story: “a lot of what the Democrats procure vote-wise is black women.” It just so happens that the voters Breitbart says Democrats need happen to be the opposite of their average reader, mostly angry young white men.
Followers of the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, anti-anyone who isn’t a white American male website instantly went into attack mode with some of the racism they’re most noted for.
How many of them are on welfare having more kids to collect more welfare.
— james j burke III (@jamesjburkeIII) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/ScottZoeller/status/950774960561184768
That and her message that all old white men just need to die and the fact that she is so closely associated with Harvey Weinstein. Yeah right, good luck with that!
— Lance Mallett (@skinsfann1) January 9, 2018
Oprah's economic plan….. "Send cash to a ghetto nearest you."
— JRAY ⚔️✝️??⚔️ (@jray_redfever) January 9, 2018
Electing someone that can’t be held accountable is a terrible idea. How can the opposition push back without being called a racist?
— Ignacio Diaz (@ignacio_idiaz) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/Driver2225/status/950773152971481088
americans are not going to vote for another black person for a long time after 8 years of nothing from Obama
— Paul Hopkins (@PaulHop61487038) January 9, 2018
In addition to throwing racist jibes at Oprah, Breitbart’s readers did what so many on the right do these days: insist that black voters are simply too stupid and easily manipulated to know what’s really good for them. Lucky for those witless black folks that white people are here to remind Democrats who the real racists are, Democrats like Representative John Lewis, a notable Civil Rights leader who was nearly killed when he marched with Dr. King in Alabama, because they just don’t understand how racism works. That’s not racist at all, right?
Always a racist narrative #LiberalsAreISIS like #ObamaIsEvil ever did one thing 2 support lifting people out of poverty I do give him credit for his Young African Fellowship but he disappoints me that once again he is investing in other countries success https://t.co/XufiR0244x pic.twitter.com/gUjpCQOgp5
— Debbie B. Dyna (@DebbieBrandt1) January 9, 2018
Too bad the very party they are active for also oppresses them.
— Sherry (@staylorwrite4) January 9, 2018
So there are tens of thousands of black women whose children are on the waiting list fir charter schools in major cities. The democrats want them to stay in the failing public schools, & the republicans want school choice. Sounds logical to me why they blindly support democrats.
— Tony B (@RealTonyB) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/DoctorPiccoloMD/status/950779538971222018
Black voters especially need 2 watch D'Souza's Hillary's America & WAKEUP that they R being used & given NOTHING in return, but chaos, death & destruction. Only need look at every DEM ran state to see why U should NOT vote for a DEM again ever! #DemExit woke up intelligent Blacks
— ProudConservative (@rnsr4u) January 9, 2018
Some responses were not only racist, they just truly rolled around in the mud and stood up filthy and stinking. These were the people so offended when Hillary Clinton referred to them as “deplorables?”
https://twitter.com/jcmorning/status/950790156021391362
I just cant get over how fat she is sorry
— da Lyon (@_Plant__Based_) January 9, 2018
Please not again. Now a fat – as most say – woman.
— go rilla (@gorilla72835071) January 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/JohnHauser2/status/950777429534101510
Thanks, Breitbart, for once again proving how well you attract the worst among us, and thanks for the gut-wrenching view of those who walk among us in a society that is trying to be and do better while you represent those who provide the largest challenge in that quest.
Featured image via Getty/Handout
