In her first-ever speech at a Democratic convention, TV star Oprah Winfrey made a strong case for choosing Kamala Harris and criticized the malicious comment made by J.D. Vance about the Democratic candidate.
Oprah Winfrey spoke on Wednesday evening for the first time at a Democratic Party convention in her hometown of Chicago.
In a speech described by The Guardian as "strong and vigorous," she appealed to independent voters and undecided ones to come to the polls and vote for the Democratic candidate.
"Values and character matter most. In leadership and in life. And more than anything, you know this is true, decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024," she said.
The TV host highlighted Americans' ability to overcome sexism, inequality, and division, helping each other in times of need, and attacked the malicious comment made by J.D. Vance, nominated to be Donald Trump's vice president, who criticized Kamala Harris for not having children.
"(…) despite what you might think, we are not so different from our neighbors. When a house is on fire, we don't ask whose house it is (...) we try to do everything we can to save it. And if it happens to belong to a lady without children, but with a cat, well, we try to save the cat too," Oprah said.
Winfrey then evoked Tessie Prevost Williams, who, at the age of six, was part of the first two desegregated classrooms in New Orleans. Williams passed away in July this year.
The four from New Orleans – as Williams and three other students became known – paved the way for "nine years later, a girl to become part of the second integrated class" at her school in California, Winfrey said, referring to Harris, who was part of a busing program from Berkley.
When asked later about her decision to speak at the Democratic event, Winfrey told CBS: "There could not have been a life like mine, a career like mine, a success like mine, without a country like America. Only in America could there be one like me. And all the freedom I've enjoyed, the success I've enjoyed, I feel it's at stake right now."
Political consultant Frank Luntz, a polling expert for Republicans, was impressed by Oprah Winfrey's speech, calling her the "most influential speaker" of the week. He admitted he was wrong to think that the speech delivered on Tuesday by Michelle Obama would attract the most voters, as reported by Newsweek. "Instead, it will be Oprah. She really struck a chord with values," he wrote on X.
Oprah Winfrey supported Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Joe Biden in 2020, but Wednesday marked her first appearance at a Democratic convention.
Her appearance was kept secret, and according to her friend Gayle King, when Winfrey entered the convention center for a rehearsal, she wore a hat, sunglasses, and a mask to conceal her identity, the British daily reported.
The celebrity's involvement in Kamala Harris's election campaign could have a major influence on the election outcome. In 2012, researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Maryland sought to determine if there was a connection between celebrity endorsements and the number of votes politicians received. They used Winfrey's support for Barack Obama before the 2008 Democratic primary elections to analyze if her endorsement had any effect on the polls.
The researchers concluded that Winfrey's support brought about a million votes for Obama, who defeated Hillary Clinton by about 270,000 votes in the states analyzed.
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