Oprah might be what America needs
Re President Oprah? It has a nice wrong to it, Menon, Jan 9 When I was a little, while my friends would want to play after school, I would instead race home to watch Oprah. I never missed an episode and she became the mother I wished I had after my own mother was killed by a drunk driver when I was 7. Her ability to overcome her difficult circumstances and become the giant she is today served as an inspiration for me to push through my own struggles and chart my path forward.
I’m now grateful for her influence in breaking through the glass ceilings, which allows me to be a woman working in the maledominated tech sector. Within that premise, and within the backdrop of the #MeToo movement of Sunday’s Golden Globes, I find myself offended by your column.
To suggest that Oprah is nothing more than “inclusive, thoughtful, empathetic, decent, generous, emotionally and cognitively stable” is both short-sighted and sexist.
You are failing to consider that she both managed and owned her production company, that her entrepreneurial skills have allowed her to build her magazine, her OWN channel and build a school for young girls in Africa, all of which are very tangible skills that can easily be transferred to the political arena.
That you chose to only focus on her skills as a brilliant speaker and journalist in your argument against her credentials as a potential future president is troublesome, given this age of women’s empowerment. From where I stand, you’re on the wrong side of our history in the making. Andrea Vahan, Toronto
When I first read this column, I thought it made good points. But then I googled “Who was the best United States President?” and the answer turned out to be former actor Ronald Reagan. William Phillips, Toronto
There is no doubt that Oprah has a brilliant creative and incisive mind, incredible oratory skills, entrenched liberal values and a generous heart. But she lacks political experience.
Senator Elizabeth Warren would be an ideal president, but lacks the charisma to capture the needed votes.
But a Warren-Winfrey ticket would be unbeatable. I think the U.S. is ready for that and the world needs it. Elka Enola, Oakville