Monday, September 8, 2008

Oprah Tells Republicans To Kiss Her Ass



Well, not really, but she is probably thinking it.

A group of Republican women are boycotting billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey because she refuses to put Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin on her television show.

"Women in Florida helped build Oprah into the icon she is today," said Linda Ivell, President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women, the group leading the boycott.

"With our Republican sisters across the nation, we have collectively enjoyed her entertaining, informative and female-driven programming as we raised our families and became more empowered as women. We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey's decision to sit out the greatest political moment in the history of women since suffrage," said Ms. Ivell in a press release issued on Friday.

Winfrey, who endorsed Sen. Barack Obama and had him on her show before he formally announced his run for the White House, said at the beginning of the presidential campaign that she would not allow her show to be used as a platform by any political campaign.

Winfrey agreed Palin would be a "fantastic interview," but wouldn't invite her on until after the November elections.

Ms. Ivell said her 58 year old group, the largest political organization in Florida, is also encouraging women to join the grassroots national movement to cancel their subscriptions to O Magazine.

"We find it to be an abuse of her power –gained on the backs of our patronage of her advertising empire - to use her program to so blatantly support Obama in the face of this historic moment. So, we are tuning out and cancelling our subscriptions to O Magazine and encourage other women to do the same. Maybe not forever, but at least until 'after the election'," said Ms. Ivell in a direct reference to Oprah's refusal not to host Governor Palin until 'after the election'.

Ms. Ivell stated that her members respect Ms. Winfrey's personal endorsement of the Democratic ticket as every American is entitled to their personal opinion and vote. The boycott is a part of the FFRW's new truth in the media and fair reporting watch dog committee organized in direct response to what Ivell termed as "the unfair and misleading reporting regarding the selection of Sarah Palin as running mate on the Republican ticket."

Yes, it is Oprah's show and she can do with it what she wants, but nobody should be surprised that the Republicans are making an issue of her decision not to invite Palin on.

Oprah put herself in this position by coming out so publicly for Obama and then bringing him on the show so close to when he officially announced his plans for the presidency. If the Fairness Doctrine were still in place, Ms. Winfrey might have found herself in a much stickier situation. But thanks to the Republicans, the doctrine is no more and they have their heralded Ronald Reagan to thank for that.

The knife cuts both ways.


What would you tell these women if you were Oprah?







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