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From Politics & Government
Guests had to park their cars in an equestrian center and travel to the estate on shuttle buses. They were subjected to strict security procedures and stripped of their mobile phones, cameras and recording devices. Instructions sent to guests noted that Winfrey and Obama would not be accepting gifts and to wear flat shoes to protect the Winfrey estate grounds. The media were barred from the fundraiser whose menu featured mini burgers, chips and guacamole, chicken tenders, corn-on-the-cob on a stick, iced tea, water, lemonade and wine. This was Winfrey's first ever presidential fundraiser. "I haven't been actively engaged before because there hasn't been anything to be actively engaged in. But I am engaged now to make Barack Obama the next President of the United States," Winfrey told the attendees.Winfrey has given Obama a ringing endorsement, saying he is a man of destiny whose time has come. Speculation has been mounting about how the talk show queen and media powerhouse will use her influence to support Obama's presidential aspiration. "My money isn't going to make any difference to him," Winfrey told CNN's Larry King earlier this year. "I think that my value to him, my support of him, is probably worth more than any check." While Winfrey has proven the power she has to catapult unknown authors to the top of the best-seller list, this is new territory for her and time will tell if her influence in media and publishing can be transferred to presidential politics. The Washington Post made it plain as to her influence on the general public: "the television program that reaches 8.4 million viewers each weekday afternoon, according to the most recent Nielsen numbers. Her Web site reaches 2.3 unique viewers each month, 'O, the Oprah Magazine,' has a circulation of 2 million, she circulates a weekly newsletter to 420,000 fans and 360,000 people have subscribed to her Web site for daily 'Oprah Alerts' by e-mail." © Copyright 2003 by blacktalentnews.com |
