With the start of a new year came a variety of awards shows, from the Golden Globes to the Grammys, all eyes are on Hollywood. These award shows have become increasingly polarized throughout the years, with many issues being discussed in tangent with the show through the many public figures who attend it. This year, the major issue has been #MeToo, a movement against sexual harassment and assault of women in entertainment, in direct response to accusations made against Harvey Weinstein in 2017.
At the beginning of the show, Seth Meyers, the host, joked about Oprah running for president, but that has now grown past a joke into a legitimate possibility for 2020. A CNN poll setting Oprah up against Donald Trump has Oprah leading at a 51% to Trump’s 42%, showing possible success if she were to actually win. Hollywood has also gotten behind Oprah, with Meryl Streep publicly endorsing an Oprah bid for 2020.
However, despite this support, it cannot be ignored that Oprah simply does not have enough experience for this office. Continuing to elect celebrities for President can only lead to disaster. With lack of knowledge of policy, it is easy to make devastating mistakes, and even though Oprah can speak for many of today’s current cultural issues, she is not qualified to make decisions that could shake the world and break down the American government as a whole.
Even just by looking at our current “celebrity” President, Donald Trump, it is clear that this bid would not be a stellar idea. Trump currently only enjoys a 42.2% approval rating according to RealClear Politics and many are uncontent about what he has done so far. Steps he has taken are increasingly criticized, especially in the light of the recent government shutdown, leaving people unsure about what is to come in the future.
With the rise of support for candidates like Oprah, the Rock, and Kanye West, the presidential race becomes more and more like a reality TV show, moving away from what really matters for the nation and the policy that is needed for the government to function properly. Though there is really nothing that could truly stop Oprah from running if she truly desired to, she just has not proven that she is ready to do so. Hosting a talk show or running a large brand is not enough to show why she would be a good president and what she could possibly do for the nation.
Although Oprah’s views may appeal to many, she should not be the next president of the United States. What she has done says nothing about what she could do as a part of the government as she has no history in office whatsoever. What would she do about major issues like health care or the budget? What would she do about the American Army and defense?
These unanswered questions need to be answered before Oprah can even be considered remotely ready to become the next president of the United States.
Article by MoCo Student staff writer Laura Yao of Richard Montgomery High School