Monday, January 21, 2008

Oprah Receiving a Backlash For Supporting Obama?


It seems that Race is rearing its head once again in the Democratic Presidential Primary.

According to reports, Oprah is suffering a backlash from her White, Middle-class & upper-class Female viewers. I can't say that i'm shocked. My cynicism realism told me that this might happen if Oprah explicitly supported a Presidential candidate, especially a candidate who was Black and Male. This is because of the demographic that you typically see on Oprah... mostly White, Middle Class and Upper Middle Class...and even elite fans from the suburbs. People who grew to "trust" Oprah over the last 2 decades. Now they feel that Oprah has betrayed Women in favor of her Race. Why her support of Obama has to be a Race issue, I don't know. But it seems to be an easy excuse for those upset by Oprah's Obama endorsement. Oprah was in a no win situation here. I understood her reasons for not entering the political fray in previous years. But now I really understand why she stayed out of politics for so long.

Obama was definitely naive to think that voters in one of the most racist Countries on Earth would treat him as a viable, capable candidate. No matter how qualified or competent a Black Man might be, he will never get the same respect from the wider society that non-Blacks receive.

It looks like "hope" is finally meeting reality.

It's ironic that on Kings Holiday there are so many things that remind us of just how little this Country has really evolved in terms of Race.

No comments: