NEWS
Obama ‘08: Will Oprah matter?
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Kailey Bender:
- Vets take advantage of G.I. Bill (December 11, 2007)
- UW System enrollment increases 2.1 percent across state (December 6, 2007)
- Jihad speaker draws concern (November 30, 2007)
- New seg fee rules in regents' hands (November 28, 2007)
- Roll out the kettle (November 26, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Obama to visit Madison today (October 15, 2007)
- Obama looks to UW for '08 support (September 14, 2007)
- Breaking news: Obama coming to Madison (September 25, 2007)
- Obama supporters campaign in Iowa (October 1, 2007)
- Obama coming to city next month (September 26, 2007)
by Kailey Bender
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wisconsin officials and students had mixed reactions to Oprah Winfrey's endorsement last week of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at fundraising events in Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire.
More than 60,000 people attended the rallies across the country.
Bryon Eagon, Wisconsin state coordinator of Students for Obama, attended Winfrey's speech in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and said Winfrey has a powerful message.
"I had never heard her speak in person before; she was very personable and sincere about this campaign," Eagon said. "Oprah's role was not to use her popularity to persuade people, it was to bring them into the discussions about Sen. Obama's values and ideas for the future of this country."
Kenneth Goldstein, University of Wisconsin political science professor, said celebrity endorsements often do not necessarily translate into votes.
"There are very few instances where endorsements have moved vast amounts of people to vote," Goldstein said.
Goldstein did think the Obama campaign was using a celebrity endorsement in a different way than has been seen in the past.
"They controlled who went to the event, they had the phone numbers and e-mail addresses for everyone who went and contacted people afterwards," Goldstein said. "This contact translated the buzz of celebrity endorsement into celebrity capital."
Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, said endorsers have an effect on campaigns because they draw attention.
"I run for office, I like endorsements," Risser said. "I think endorsers who are well-liked and well-known or endorsers who have been elected by the public show 'they have a fair amount of support, I might as well vote for them.'"
The timing of the announcement of an endorser is also important, Risser said.
"If it comes late in the campaign, it won't have as much of an impact. What good is [an endorsement] if it's right before an election and everyone has already decided who they are voting for? In the case of Obama, the timing is very good," Risser said.
Sara Mikolajczak, chair of UW College Republicans, said endorsements could either help or hurt a presidential campaign.
"A lot of candidates are doing it, Chuck Norris endorsed Mike Huckabee and it could be successful or it could be damaging," Mikolajczak said. "A lot of people from older generations might not understand why Chuck Norris is endorsing Mike Huckabee, a lot of younger people might think it's hilarious — it really depends on your audience."
Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford, said while most endorsers do not mean a great deal to a campaign, Oprah may be an exception.
"She is incredibly well-respected, especially if you're a women or of any ethnicity. Only Oprah can bring 30,000 people to one event and raise millions," Suder said, adding her endorsement "could certainly help bring new people into Obama camp — there are a lot of people who will follow her."
The most significant endorsement is from the American people, not celebrities, Eagon said.
"While Oprah's endorsement is appreciated, the biggest endorsement will come from voters," Eagon said.
Add a comment
We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.
Login...
Not registered? Sign up now.
It's quick, free, and the email address you provide will not be sold or solicited.
