In what Sen. Barack Obama described as the best-attended rally of the political season for any candidate, more than 29,000 attendees jammed Williams-Brice Stadium Sunday.
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey rallied the crowd of supporters ”” a primarily female and African-American audience ”” to get behind her friend, Obama, a new kind of leader who possesses “a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth,” Winfrey said.
Winfrey, who has never before endorsed a presidential candidate, said she’s “stepping out of my pew” because she’s been disappointed with politicians and has become inspired by Obama’s message of change and unity.
“Dr. King dreamed the dream, but we don’t have to dream the dream anymore,” Oprah told the crowd. “We get to vote that dream into office.”
I hope this event doesn’t set a new precedent for presidential campaigns. Are the candidates now going to be expected to bring celebrities on board and stage rock concerts? Will Americans now require major-scale entertainment to become involved in the political process? I think it’s sad.
This event seems to be giving the message that people need to be bribed to hear Obama. Shouldn’t HE be the focus instead of Oprah? Why should we even care what Oprah, or Streisand, or Eastwood, or ANY of them think? They are rich celebrities who don’t have as much of a stake in this election as the middle class or poor.
Well, here we go. I just heard on CNN that John Edwards has signed up Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon to campaign for him. Sigh…..
29,000 people, while a good number, hardly “jams” Williams-Brice Stadium which holds over 80,000
Why would I vote for Obama because of Oprah – she is not running – he is!