Chuck Norris doesn't just campaign for presidential
candidates; he makes Republican presidential candidates electable. Or at least
nominate-able. The candidacy of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has been
galvanized by the presence of none other than Mr. Norris himself. I find it no
coincidence that the ascendancy of Mr. Huckabee in Iowa, New Hampshire and
South Carolina polls correlates with the appearance of Mr. Norris in Mr.
Huckabee's campaign.

The same, however, cannot hold true for "Oprabama" as media
outlets have dubbed it. "Oprabama" is a series of Sen. Barack Obama's campaign
events featuring everyone's favorite daytime television talk show host, Oprah
Winfrey. "Oprabama" will do little to boost Mr. Obama's standing in Iowa, South
Carolina or New Hampshire — and not just because media outlets would do better
to title Mr. Obama's series of campaign events with Ms. Winfrey the far more
pronounceable "Oprama," but because Mr. Obama already has everything Ms.
Winfrey could possibly offer him.

The presence of a celebrity in the political campaign offers
a modicum of excitement and likeability that might otherwise be absent in a
campaign. In 2004, Bruce Springsteen was able to coax 80,000 people into
attending a John Kerry campaign rally right here in Madison.

Even paper-thin poll frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton,
D-N.Y., touts a number of celebrity endorsements. Her husband, former president
and foremost political celebrity Bill Clinton, has been campaigning for his
wife since the start of her campaign. Director Steven Spielberg has been Ms.
Clinton's veritable Hollywood campaign manager and has made his support of Ms.
Clinton clear. Even Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, recently
escaped from electoral obscurity, has hinted that he may trot out a few
celebrities in the weeks leading up to the primaries.

But "Oprama" — the unique combination of Mr. Obama and Ms.
Winfrey — is tailor-made for media coverage. The sexiest, most unique
presidential candidate since, well, ever, teaming up with daytime TV's queen
just screams much-needed media coverage.

Wait? Much-needed media coverage for Mr. Obama? Mr. Obama
needs more media coverage like Ms. Clinton needs more Washington experience and
campaign cash from rich, well-to-do Democrats and lobbyists.

The timing of "Oprama" comes at a time when Ms. Clinton,
once languishing in comfortable double-digit leads, is now appearing vulnerable
in polls where she boasts slim leads well within the statistical margin of
error. With the first primary a month away, Oprama's timing could prove
fortuitous for Mr. Obama.

But the Clinton campaign couldn't be any less worried.

Voters are convinced of Mr. Obama's ability to draw crowds,
conjure excitement and gain media coverage. What America isn't convinced of is
Mr. Obama's experience and ability to lead a waning superpower. Americans are
already excited about Mr. Obama. However, they have yet to be convinced that
he's more prepared than Ms. Clinton to lead our nation. And Ms. Winfrey will do
little to convince America that Mr. Obama is ready to be our president now, or
that his campaign to do so should not have waited another eight years.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate Mr. Obama's potential to
change the world's perception of America. The fact that he was able to procure
the endorsement and active involvement in his campaign from a woman who has
interviewed, but never endorsed, numerous presidential candidates speaks to his
charisma and character. But Mr. Obama has yet to invoke the nation's trust in
his ability to handle America's foreign policy, or assuage the world's
trepidation at our worsening dollar and economic gloom. And no amount of Ms. Winfrey
is going to convince us otherwise.

With Oprah on the stump, Mr. Obama is effectively preaching
to the choir — something he can hardly afford to do this late in the game.
Remember the aforementioned Kerry campaign stop? Complete with Mr. Springsteen
and 80,000 adoring fans? Imagine if Mr. Kerry had done that in Ohio, a state he
did not win, instead of in Wisconsin, a state he could not lose. Imagine if Mr.
Obama was campaigning with Colin Powell and Alan Greenspan in Iowa and New
Hampshire. Forget the polls; just hold the primaries the day after that
campaign stop.

So until Ms. Winfrey convinces me that Mr. Obama is
experienced enough to lead our nation on day one, I think I'll go with a proven
leader like Richardson, Biden or Clinton. And until Mr. Spielberg convinces me
that Mrs. Clinton isn't a dinosaur from our political past, I'll go with
leaders that promise a new direction for America like Edwards and Obama. Of
course, if I had my way, I'd vote for "Clintama." Now that's a candidate I'd
campaign for. And I'm sure Oprah and Chuck Norris would, too.

Gerald Cox ([email protected])
is a senior majoring in economics.