Winfrey’s speech stirs presidential prognostication

Acceptance speech, or carefully couched campaign declaration?

Last Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards weren’t just a celebration of Hollywood; they were a celebration of women.

Actresses wore black in solidarity with the #TimesUp movement and shared the red carpet with non-Hollywood activists engaged in the fight against workplace harassment and abuse.

Conversations about abuse and power continued throughout the evening, from Seth Meyers’ deftly delivered opening monologue to presenters’ remarks to winners’ acceptance speeches.

While introducing the Globe for best director, Natalie Portman looked straight into the camera and said, “Here are the all-male nominees.” This is what an awards show looks like in the post-Weinstein era.

But if there was a galvanizing moment of the Golden Globes, it came via the night’s clear leading lady: Oprah Winfrey.

After receiving the annual Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement, Ms. Winfrey delivered an acceptance speech that moved many to tears.

She, too, spoke about abuse and power. She told the story of Recy Taylor, a young African-American mother who in 1944 was abducted and raped by six white men while on her way home from church. Justice wasn’t an option for her in segregated America.

“She lived as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men,” Ms. Winfrey said. “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is UP.”

In both delivery and content, the speech was stirring, inspirational and sincere. In the view of many observers, it was something else, too: presidential.

By Monday morning, speculation about #Oprah2020 was all over social media and news networks, with CNN reporting that two of her close friends say she’s “actively thinking” about a run for the White House. Oprah for president? Why not? A Winfrey-led ticket is not a new idea. It came up when she campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008 and again when she endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016. And if the election of Donald Trump taught us anything, it’s that political experience isn’t a prerequisite. In 2018, it’s no longer far-fetched to say a billionaire entertainment personality and entrepreneur with instant name recognition could be U.S. president.

But while Ms. Winfrey and Mr. Trump have a few things in common, Ms. Winfrey’s broad appeal lies in their differences. During her storied career, “Oprah” has also become shorthand for empowerment, inclusion, optimism, empathy — qualities “Trump” just doesn’t evoke. Ms. Winfrey embodies the American dream — born into poverty in Mississippi, she overcame tremendous adversity to become the head of a massive media empire. To many, she is a hero, an icon, even a queen.

Still, there’s clearly a wide gulf between “could win an election” and “could do the actual job” — and many Democrats are rightly skeptical about enlisting their own unproven celebrity for the presidential race. Cults of personality may attract votes, but they don’t translate to the day-to-day.

It’s premature to debate something that hasn’t even been announced yet. But in the afterglow of the Golden Globes, America — and the world — saw something in Oprah. They saw someone who can lead. Someone who uplifts and empowers. Someone who speaks out against injustice.

It’s entirely conceivable Oprah will never run for president, but perhaps she’ll inspire someone who will.

That is, after all, what Oprah does: she shows us what’s possible.