DECEMBER 20, 2007
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Via the Chicago Sun-Times, a Zogby poll* suggests that Oprah Winfrey may have done Obama little good--and perhaps even harmed him--among women voters in New Hampshire. I do think the Oprah tour risked highlighting the sense some people have that Obama is more a media sensation than a serious political leader. That said, the tour garnered Obama a ton of soft media coverage and produced a sense of momentum and success at a critical moment. Moreover, a major element of the three Oprah events was getting attendees to sign pro-Obama "pledges" and collecting precious contact information like email addresses.
Update/credit where due: That Zogby poll was commissioned by the Lifetime network. Here's the whole thing, which I now see also includes the interesting fact that 40 percent of New Hampshire women remain undecided.
--Michael Crowley
6 comments
MIke -
I know you saw the front page covers of the Iowa/NH/SC dailies after Oprah came. Obama got the best coverage in the history of the primaries...if Oprah hurt him by making him look like a media sensation...then the sting of that was far outweighed by the positive press generated...
- virginiacentrist
December 20, 2007 at 12:43pm
I think we'll know more after the Iowa results -- I still can't shake the feeling that Iowans don't like Obama's Chicago "ghost voters" (college students temporarily switching residence to be in the caucuses) and that Oprah's tour might reinforce that feeling. Also -- and this isn't Obama's fault -- I think Hillary has more potential for a sympathy vote, and I think Oprah abandoning women's empowerment for race empowerment (recall her MLK remarks) might strike a chord.
- Lymon1
December 20, 2007 at 1:39pm
I think it helped him hugely in South Carolina.
- psantillana
December 20, 2007 at 2:43pm
"...highlighting the sense some people have that Obama is more a media sensation than a serious political leader..."
Nonsense. This is pundit and junkie talk. You should have seen the energy in the Obama campaign during that weekend. Oprah electrified Obama's supporters, and that electricity has been contagious (that is, for non-cynical pundits). I've seen it firsthand.
- ralphnelle
December 20, 2007 at 5:12pm
virginiacentrist,
You'll like this one:
youtube.com/watch
- ralphnelle
December 20, 2007 at 5:47pm
virginiacentrist,
You'll like this one (Obama as Pericles):
youtube.com/watch
- ralphnelle
December 20, 2007 at 5:47pm