so this is a hate obama marathon,right? gonna hammer him til oprah gets home sunday nite.. I'm getting some popcorn.

This is weak,lame,jealous,and dumb.

Gee,You know what, once Al Gore visited the white house when Bush was there and they even talked... oh man, what has happened to gore?

What an unnerving thought, Jerome!  Thanks for posting.

I have to say that when I saw that clip of Jenna Bush on Ellen this week, it kind of creeped me out in how it tried to make Bush seem like just a regular guy dad having to deal with a fun-loving all-American daughter. Abu Ghraib? Iraq? Torture? Warrantless wiretaps? Feh, he's just a regular Joe, and his daughter's so cute!

I couldn't help wondering why someone whom you would assume reviles Bush and opposes everything that he stands for would do this right now, after all that's happened. I mean, if you want to have Jenna on, fine, she recently wrote a book. But why the cutesy phone call to daddy? Do we really need to boost the creep's poll numbers among the segment of the population that can't remember beyond last Tuesday and knows more about Ellen's cats than where Iraq is on the map (and yes, I think that people who watch these shows regularly are illiterate nincompoops with the intellectual maturity of a 12 year old)?

I just can't stand this American tendency to want to make everything "cute" and non-threatening. But what do you expect from someone who cries over a dog, but not stuff that's actually worth crying over, like, um, dead troops and innocent Iraqis. Or perhaps Darfur. Or maybe Katrina. Whatever, I give up.

I had forgotten this, she really did save Bush's campaign. The media swooned and Gore became the guy who couldn't dress himself.

Who knows, maybe she will do the same for Obama.

I was inking he exac same thing earlier today.

I remember when Bush went on with Letterman and Dave just GRILLED him - bu when he went on with Oprah - it was all just kiss-kiss!

And what about by 2004 - when we knew what a disaster he was by then - was she offering her mansion for a fundraiser or her fame for a crutch to any other Dem?

Noooooo!

Well obviously any implication that Oprah helped Bush to win other than to do her job as a daytime talkshow host (asking famous people softball questions and crying on air from time to time) is silly.

I do think it begs the question of what Oprah Winfrey has to add to the political discourse. I haven't heard her make any stances on where this country should be going nor have I any idea what specific policy Obama is proposing that she endorses over the other candidates.

Wow, three anti-Obama posts on the front page....Record?

is this the same jerome from 2003? i don't even know this reincarnation.

Is this comment coming from a Hilbot. One has to stoop pretty low to post this kind of slur!

This is ridiculous. As ridiculous as headlines that read "Edwards supporters bash Oprah". Not true. We have reduced ourselves to trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator and most of the time we would like to think it's the Republicans, but we're trying to pass it on our own. But let's face it, most Democrats including elite bloggers aren't as smart as they would like to think. Let's keep these idiotic tactics at bay until the general and let's get back to policy. Mmmm?

Mary Stylianopoulos
Melbourne, Australia

But what about substantive issues?  What about building up the Democratic Party?  What about correcting the media?  What about the fundamental goal of the progressive blogosphere, to reshape America into a better, more progressive nation?  What happened to all those noble goals?

suuuuuure, it was all oprah's fault. do you know how ridiculous you sound?

The establishment media went gaga after Oprah embraced Bush.

they were gaga over bush even before that. they were oohing and ahing how bush picked cheney.

what about all the favorable things bill clinton and his crew (like leon panetta) had to say about bush after he was anointed president? what about the coverage the clintons gave bush over the war? you hold them responsible for that?  

I'm an Edwards man, but this is just absurd.

There's no doubt that the Oprah appearance helped Bush recover in 2000. The New Republic even used the kissing picture on its cover with the phrase "How George Got His Groove Back" or something like that.

Having said that, I wouldn't read too much into it--I remember she had Gore on as well. In particular, I wouldn't take this to mean any similarity between Bush and Obama.

There could be no surer confirmation that Obama's traded places with the leader in his marathon run for gold than the sudden negative attention attracted by every aspect of his campaign.  At this point I don't think it has much impact, I doubt these narratives will percolate through to the electorate in time to have any influence on the outcome in Iowa, at least.  And after Iowa?  Well, that's when it gets interesting...

Oprah bullied her audience into accepting right-wing talking points...

Doubt me?

The worst possible issue: Were there WMDs in Iraq?

Watch Oprah bully her audience...ofcourse Bush is right...ofcourse the reports are right THERE ARE WMD IN IRAQ!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWfYL_GK Rk

She's a fraud and I'm glad Jerome is man enough to step up to this...

lol. Oh well, If she did in fact help Bush with the supposed Oprah-Bounce, then hey I'll take her support for Obama any day.

I'm sure you didn't bother to look for any pictures of Al Gore's appearance on Oprah, that year, did ya?

You're pathetic.

Also, notice how Markos has gone after every candidate? Clinton, Gravel, Richardson, Biden, Kucinich, Edwards...he was leaning Dodd but since Imus now Dodd is a bigot too...

Fine with me...but notice someone missing from that list?

Obama has such a glass jaw, and so many holes as a candidate...yet Markos wouldn't shutup about Edwards public financing...I don't even like Edwards (as a candidate)

Only Jerome is standing up against the ridiculous Obama surge that is playing right into the hands of the GOP...

I swear, common sense has stopped working with Markos and 99% of the netroots

Thank you Jerome. I can always count on you to put things in perspective. I just hope the early Primary states aren't as stupid as we were back in 2000.  I love MyDD.

and she bumped him up in the polls and gave him significant momentum ( it is a joke when she says she has never endorsed a political candidate before ) glad you all still remember your American collective culture and how it effects political outcomes;

I am shocked at the vitriol targeted at Obama.

Jerome, who's paying you?  The anti-Obama bias that is coming through in your posts is so strong that it makes me doubt your authenticity.  

You are attacking Oprah for being a softball host in 2000 with Bush?  

You are throwing out poll results that are heavily favored for Obama because they include Independents?

Obama is the real deal and has consistently been able to respond to attacks quickly and effectively.  Those Repubs that have already launched attacks his way have been subjected to withering responses and the attacks stopped.  

Hillary just experienced the same thing when she went into attack mode and I am sure Obama is going to end up with a bump in the polls directly following the week of Hillary Attacks.

He is ready for the main election, and he is most likely to win by big margins.

Wow , the guy has gone nuts on us.

You have lost or are losing the respect you once had among those of us in the netroots. I guess you don't care.

Wow i go to bed and somehow Jerome got even worse over night.

on a Derek Larson diary.

..and thanks to John Kerry, John Edwards, Ralph Nader, Bill Clinton, Florida, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, the MSM.......

You're really reaching, Jerome. Would this diary appeared if Oprah was campaigning for Kucinich or Clinton or Edwards?

I appreciate your posting the photo, though it makes me cringe.  The truth is I have never forgotten that moment on Oprah.  Despite her assertion that she historically stayed out of partisan politics, Oprah has indeed meddled with an uneven hand in national politics.  The results have been disastrous for our side of the aisle.  It is her right, of course, to say or do what she wishes.  But claiming to be nonpartisan wasn't exactly true.  

1) In the late 1990s, she led the nation in a prayer and chest beating over the freshly dumped (onto the internet) Starr report.  Millions of viewers instantly turned on Clinton before the complete facts were even known.  I found it ironic that she tried to become a national arbiter for the marriage of BC.  (Note: I am not a Hillary supporter.)

2) As the photo indicates, there was the lopsided handling of the Gore/ Bush visits.  It was clear whom she favored (not Gore).  I saw the show and thought at the time, "there goes the election."

3) She hosted Judith Miller and her manipulative propaganda.  Miller's propaganda tome, Germs, was designed to scare people into surrendering their rights.  Miller's writings drummed up fear of terrorism, including WMD (that weren't there), and facilitated support for the Bush wars.  She tried to make Americans believe there was germ warfare ready to take out a neighborhood near each, or any, of us.  Her sources included those deep inside the Bush administration, and dubious "sources" proffered up by the Office of Special Plans, and Iraq war architect, Richard Pearle.  (Richard Pearle is a friend of Judith's).  See the new Craig Unger book, The Fall of the House of Bush for more on this.  The Miller visit was likely good for millions of viewers being willing to hand over their rights because of the "war on terror." Ironically, by her writings, Miller was terrorizing Americans.

4)Oprah also tried to play non-partisan in the presidential election of 2004.  She hosted Condi Rice who spun her false tales of WMD.  Oprah was a-ga-ga.

5)And then Oprah did the really unforgivable.  A new California resident, she aided and abetted the coup d'etat of California Governor Gray Davis.  Just days before the recall election Oprah had "her good friend" Maria Shriever and Arnold on the show to treat viewers to an hour long feast of how "great a guy" (and supposedly hubby) Arnold was/is. It was a real love fest.  Good for millions of votes.  And Gray Davis went down to a recall for doing nothing wrong.  It's no secret that Enron and other comapnies exploited the newly regulated Calif back then.  Records show that Arnold was actually present at one or more meetings with Ken Lay (Enron CEO)and other energy companies.  This was BEFORE the contrived/manipulated "energy crisis" that was designed to exploit rate payers of Calif and lead to the recall of Davis.  So, Arnold was involved in some way the sordid mess.  And then he tried to ride "to the rescue" of Californians.  It was really a corporate/Republican take down of Gray Davis and a DeLay takeover of another Blue state.  Davis's worst "crime" was that he wasn't "likable."  

Some added motives for the take down of Davis go much deeper.  In order to get Republican voter purge systems in place, the Bush machine needed a GOP gov.  A little over a year ago, following a huge Democratic voter registration drive, such a system purged half of all new voters who had registered that in Calif.  It seems if the system has errors in the data base and the registrant's name doesn't line up perfectly (even if the data base is wrong), the voter gets purged.  Also many were purged because of input errors.  (Refer to Greg Palast's book, Armed Madhouse, revised paperback edition, for more on this).

I must add that Oprah does incredible of good.  Along with her other good works, her Katrina Project through her angel network is inspired.  Oprah's charities take no overhead.  She hels literally thousands.  She pays for hundreds to attend college and other schools.  But that's a story in itself.

It is when she mingles politics with entertainment that things get murkier. Let me also say that while I do not support Obama, I did at first.  However, I have had it with his ageist, intergenerational warfare against boomers.  As Ellen Goodman noted this week.  The reason there are still 60s related conflicts is that the ISSUES haven't been resolved.  Pretending they have won't fix the many problems made worse by this administration.  

I am also tired of his embracing GOP talking points about domestic issues, such as health care, social security and other matters.

But, where Oprah is concerned, I do think she has a right to support someone.  I don't mind that she is working for someone other than my choice.  At least it's for a Dem, for a change.  But, Jerome, I share your belief that she was one of the factors in getting GWB selected.

The sudden and vicious Obama bashing is making me sick. I took a break the last time it happened around these parts and will do that again this time.

The only comfort I have is that it must mean he is getting close to VICTORY.  Why else spew such hate?

Have a great Obama - Oprah weekend y'all! I think we may just win this thing!!!

Oprah is Al Gore's favorite serial.

It is embarassing to come to this site and see this posted.

Sad Jerome just sad, you have been left out of the party and are throwing a temper tantrum.

This is probably one of the best posts yet.  Keep posting more.  Expose them for what they are.

First Jerome's weird post suggesting Obama wasn't electable because he couldn't beat Huckabee in his home state of Arkansas, now this?

I really don't get it. Did Obama somehow personally offend Jerome? I don't see any other reason to explain some of these petty attacks.

It has to be personal.. why else would he undercut any cred he might have by making these ludicrous arguments?

It is like when matthews was not hired by the clinton admin for press secretary.. he has had a grudge ever since.. Jerome =Tweety..

Didn't Gen. Wes Clark--who's now firmly in Hillary's camp--have some pretty nice things to say about President Bush a few years ago?  I don't suppose we'll be hearing about that anytime soon right?

You can play this game with any of the candidates...

And let's not forget Oprah hugging Ahnold during the recall.

Even if Oprah DID help Bush via negligence, hell, even if she was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, what's wrong with her switching over to support a progressive Democrat? Doesn't that HELP us?

not sure if anyone has already posted a link to this article from Sept. 25, 2000 (there are so many comments here) ....

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/2000 /10/02/oprah.html

"George W. Bush just had his first good week since the convention, and there's only one explanation: Oprah ..."

We'll see how Oprah does- it's sort of a toss-up.  Yes, she can make a book a bestseller and her ratings are huge but I also remember the movie she made, 'Beloved,' she dedicated the entire week on her show before it opened to promote it- yet, when it opened, it was a huge bomb- she could not even persuade a big audience of African-Americans to see it- and she had even fooled herself into thinking she was going to win the 'Oscar.'  So Oprah is not always right- people say it has taken her years to get over the failure of that movie.

... Hillary (December `06) and Bill (September `07)?

Hack.

Don't forget that Obama loves the bigoted anti gay minister Donnie McClurkin!  I hope Oprah and Obama discuss their love for ex-gay minister Donnie McClurkin...Remember that fiasco?  Obama not only didn't remove McClurkin from his concert he had him emcee!!! Oprah introduced McClurkin to Obama...I wonder if Oprah believes in the "ex-gay movement"?  I'll never vote for Obama...NEVER...he showed exactly the kind of person he is by catering to the anti-gay crowd.

is like the netroots version of the Clinton kindergarten attack.

post something positive about the candidate you support instead?

You know, the one who voted for a war that's resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

But man, that Oprah...

Maybe you can talk Mark Warner into jumping back into the race. So the paychecks will restart.

What happened? You know you're better than this.

Remember, what goes around comes around. Think about that.