As much as Oprah Winfrey is to be respected for her success as an actress and multimedia mogul, she is not presidential material and the overnight rally for her candidacy would only indicate that Americans, in their love of shiny objects, have learned nothing from the election of Donald Trump.
The desire to be president should be less about the ability to win, and everything about the ability to lead a very complex world. Winfrey’s success as an actress, author, TV host and magazine editor are all very commendable, but, just as Mr. Trump’s background in real estate and reality TV, have nothing to do with making policy, handling crises, and negotiating with leaders around the world.
Yes, being president makes you a celebrity.
But being a celebrity does not make you presidential material.
The rally behind Ms. Winfrey’s possible candidacy — which even she has not endorsed — comes from a stellar and well-rehearsed speech she gave at Sunday night’s Golden Globes ceremony.
As someone who grew up poor, black and female, Ms. Winfrey knows a thing or two about oppression. As the daughter of a single woman who cleaned houses to put food on the table, Ms. Winfrey knows about poverty.
It is because she has overcome these personal hurdles that makes Ms. Winfrey’s story so attractive. She knows your pain. She shares your sorrows. She delights in your success. Her empathic nature is why millions of households continue to welcome her into their living rooms — even in reruns.
Ms. Winfrey is also refreshingly humble. On Sunday, she received the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award for her career in film. The bulk of her acceptance speech expressed gratitude and admiration of those who have influenced her life.
And then she got to the nut of it: Sexual abuse is destroying too many lives and is a poison to our society, and that her hope is that one day no man or woman need say “Me too.”
So yes, you could construct two columns pitting Ms. Winfrey’s attributes against those of Mr. Trump, and it’s pretty clear with whom you would prefer to be marooned on a deserted island.
Even so.
Being president is not something you learn on the fly.
For whatever reason, we Americans have become afraid of intellectuals. We resent their advanced degrees, their ability to communicate in other languages, their knowledge of the greater world and their ability to understand complex things.
Instead of admiring the many things they know, we mock them.
It’s one thing to not want to share a pizza and beer with a true genius. That’s not what most of us would consider a good time.
But when it comes to leading the country, we should want someone with a resume a mile long and an IQ that goes through the roof.
Our leaders should be perpetual students who value science, appreciate history and have a vision that makes for a better world.
Why we have settled for less — and would be willing to do so again — is disturbing.
— Susan Lynn
