Oprah Winfrey publicly supported her hometown candidate Barack Obama’s bid for Presidency and has since become friends with the President Elect and his wife. In September Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin was new on the scene and highly sought after by the media. Oprah was rumored at the time to have told staff she wouldn’t have Palin on her show. The talk show queen claimed that wasn’t true though, and issued a statement that “There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show.” Oprah also said that she made the decision at the start of the election not to have either candidate on despite the fact that she was campaigning for Obama.
Now that the election is over, Oprah said she tried to court Palin for an interview, but the former VP candidate wouldn’t talk to her and chose to speak to other outlets instead. Palin will soon have a book to promote however, and Oprah is hoping she’ll go on the show at that point:
It’s not Oprah Winfrey’s fault that former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin hasn’t been a guest on her talk show yet! Winfrey declared, “I said I would be happy to talk to Sarah Palin when the election was over… I went and tried to talk to Sarah Palin and instead she talked to Greta [Van Susteren]. She talked to Matt [Lauer]. She talked to Larry [King]. But she didn’t talk to me. But maybe she’ll talk to me now that she has a [multi-million dollar] book deal.”
When asked if Oprah will have Barack Obama on the show, she responded, “There’s always an open invitation for the president-elect and first lady.”
[From Extra! via Huffington Post]
There have been rumors that Oprah is moving her show to Washington for the week of Obama’s inauguration and is planning to broadcast at least three shows on location. She’s not sure she’s having a inauguration party, though, and also told Extra! that people are calling her about it but it’s news to her and nothing is planned.
This week’s Star Magazine claims Oprah is saying she’d gladly lend the future first lady any jewelry she needs for the inauguration ball or for any purpose. They quote an insider who says “Oprah has everything from simple diamond stud earrings to necklaces worth millions.” Michelle Obama can borrow “whatever [jewelry] she wants [from Oprah], whenever she wants it.”
You can see how Palin would be wary of Oprah given her connection to Obama. Once Palin has a book to promote she’ll probably realize that she should swallow her pride and go. on the show. Even at Palin’s level of fame, an appearance on Oprah can only help book sales.
Oprah looks like she’s doing da Fonz, I’m sure if you pan out she’ll have both her thumbs up.
No offence to Oprah, but if I were Sarah Palin I wouldn’t jump at the chance to go on her show either. She’s only a viable guest ‘after the election’ I thought Journalists were supposed to look @ both sides of a story.
I can’t say as I blame Palin, either, knowing that Oprah favors Obama. But I think Oprah was honorable in not having ANY candidates on once she had publicly declared who she was supporting. She just stayed off politics, which is as even-handed as trying to let each side represent themselves.
If that Star thing is true, about Oprah offering jewellery to Michelle O for the inauguration, it comes across as quite distasteful…insulting even. Just me?
Like she’s implying that Michelle O doesn’t already have suitable jewellery herself. Makes Oprah seem a bit up her own ar*e and desperate for a piece of the action and the spotlight…. or am I being very unfair to her? 🙄
@Exiled – I’m not sure I’d call Oprah a “journalist”.
I think it’s just one more example of the pouty partisan thing that’s been ripping this country apart for some years now. And I think waiting until after the election was a good move, that way Oprah could not be accused of favoring one candidate by giving them more air time.
I’m not really an Oprah fan at all, but she does have some clout, and it’s probably not a good idea to snub her. But then when did Sarah Palin ever have a good idea?
uh, oprah did not campaign for obama.
Oprah started out in convential local TV news. That’s how she met Gail.
I wouldn’t go on Oprah’s show AT ALL if I were Palin. Oprah is too judgemental and tries to do those “hard-ball” interviews. Palin can do fine on her own, without Oprah’s help.
Oprah was at Obama’s acceptance speech and introduced him at several rallies. I’d call that campaigning, anon.
Lest I be accused of being a Republican, I’m not. I’m not a Democrat either.
the jewellery thing was not true – she debunked that rumour on ET or Access Hollywood last night; can’t remember which show.
anon: Uh, yeah she did. I figured that was common knowledge at this point.
Is she afraid she’ll be asked what newspapers she reads? Oh, such a brain-teaser. She couldn’t even lie on her feet about that one. Thank you again Katie Couric, for exposing that dimwitted ‘aw-shucks’ fraud for what she was.
If by ‘debunked’ you mean she caved in to GOP authority and handed it all over without question then , yes. Access Hollywood is not something I’d rely on for political insights of ANY sort, even salacious ones.
If you’ve got shite to shill, there’s no better place to do it then on Oprah, so she’d be an even bigger idiot if she didn’t go on Oprah. Johnathan Franzen she is not.
All I know is Michelle better either borrow her jewelry from Oprah like this article says and buy her outfit like at TJMax after the shit storm that they gave to Palin for how much her wardrobe cost. But of course I’m sure the stories in the media about whatever Michelle wears and how much she spent will be nicer. 🙄
Michelle Obama pays for her own clothes, not the Democratic Party. THATS the difference.
Yes, she pays for her own clothes and I’m sure she’ll look smashing in her Wal-Mart ensemble.
So what? Campaign money is not tax payer money they can spend it however they want as long as it’s not for illegal purposes. Now was it the best way to spend $150 grand? Probably not. But the democratic party definitely should not talk considering the fact that the Obama campaign raised and spent about $1 billion. I guess nowadays candidates can just buy elections.
Actually, I think the financial technicalities of it are such: Michelle can “borrow” a specially-made designer dress for the ball, but afterward she and the designer will have to “donate” it to a museum. I’m pretty sure that’s the loophole for official presidential functions.
Re: Palin – is she so stupid she couldn’t sit there for forty minutes while Oprah soft-balled her? Oh, right. She *is* that stupid. Because Oprah would ask her brutal questions like “How was it on the campaign trail?”
Edit: “I guess nowadays candidates can just buy elections.” Nowadays? I think you mean “always”. And hey, at least the money came mostly from small donors instead of Exxon-Mobil.
Why would Palin want to sit with Oprah! She can’t do a 15 minute interview with Katie F*cking Couric, let alone an hour with one of the smartest women in the world. Imagine if they opened up the audience for questions too–oh that would be fun. She would finally know what a moose in the sites feels like.
Oh yeah, and ANOTHER 30,000 for clothing and accessories for Palin was revealed last night. 180,000.00 to make the Palins look like repectible hillbilles with mall bangs.
And another thing, designers will often loan or give things to public figures. That is nothing new. That’s what was cool about Michelle is she turned that down. Any designer on the planet would happily have given any dress to Michelle. You can’t buy that kind of press. The Inagural dresses are all donated to the Smithsonian I believe anyway.
It’s true that Oprah helps selling books but to whom? If Palin wants to establish herself as an intelligent candidate she absolutely needs to refrain from going to shows like Oprah’s.
Sorry, but I could not resist. “If Palin wants to establish herself as an intelligent candidate” I suggest she not talk at all to anyone.
i think sarah palin should be interviewed by a high school newspaper. that’s about as much as she can handle.
Sarah Palin can SUCK IT
Oprah Winfrey can suck it
Not showing much respect for high school journalism there, Kate. 😆 I’m pretty sure there are a lot of 15 year olds who could stump her.
@geronimo – I don’t know if Oprah lending Michelle some pretty baubles is insulting – I bet Oprah has a pretty incredible jewelry box/closet/vault, and probably does have more redonkulously expensive pieces than Michelle. (Heck, I’d love to play dress up in Oprah’s closet. She’s the only celeb who might have stuff in my size…) If it were true, I’d think it was a nice offer between friends.
btw – whenever I read your name, it sounds like “geronimoooooooooooo” in my head…. 😆
As for Palin, there is no denying the Oprah Bump. If you can pimp your wares on Oprah, you’re pretty much assured a spike in sales. I’m sure many Palin fans are also fans of Oprah – she’d be silly not to promote her book in that venue. Heck, I’d tune in, and I’m not really a fan of either woman.
@Chamalla – “If it were true, I’d think it was a nice offer between friends.”
Yeah, you’re right but the fact that, if it’s true, Oprah’s made it known that she’s opening up her jewellery box (closets, houses!) to Michelle O, it just seemed a little bit pushy…
@syko – you are so right! my apologies to high school reporters everywhere. and elementary school students, too.
Lol. Palin on Oprah? I think not. Palin is far to self-obsessed to do an interview with anyone that is remotely smarter than “Greta Van Sistern.” Palin views intelligent questions as “sexist,” and “gotcha media,” so she will undoubtedly avoid Oprah like the plague.
something tells me that Oprah will get over it.
another thing if Oprah had her on the show and Palin bombed like she always does on interviews people would have called it “gotcha journalism” or some other b/s like that. they would have blamed Oprah and not Palin…Sara Palin would have gotten a pass.
oprah is not thinking about trashy ass sara palin..
ZOI: The difference is this. Both parties are asked at the beginning of the election which option they would like to take to fund their campaign.
A:) Take the money set aside by TAXPAYERS (optional for taxpayers, but still from them) and not a penny more
or
B:) Raise their own money without limits.
McCain took the taxpayers donations and spent 150k on wardrobe for Palin.
Obama recieved no more than $35 (I believe the number was) from each donator, and still managed to raise as much money as he did. AND Michelle still bought a bunch of discount clothes.
THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!
Please Oprah, please say “so what” and pass on this one. We are all sick of Sarah now, and I’m sure by 2012, we will be ready to throw the TV out the window.
Oh come on you sillies—-Sarah Palin is Alaska’s trailer trash. Her pregnant daughter’s vocab is deeper than hers oh I forgot maybe its her throat :lol
Ha her pregnant daughter had her baby? Clearly she is keeping away from anyway who would show she is dumb. Sadly she will have to keep away from sso many people.
Mollination – the limit for a donation from one person is something like $2,000 (with a number of loop holes)I know quite a few celebs (like Oprah, Scarlet J., Jennifer Aniston, and several others) along with regular people gave the max. Even his illegal aunt gave him $500 (which he had to return. So there is no way the $30 dollar number is correct. Plus if he raised around $1 billion he would have needed 33,333,333 $35 dollar donations; America’s 2007 estimate population is 301,139,947.
It is commendable that so many donations were small and not from corporations. Looking over his donation list it didn’t seem that too many donations came from loopholes and were over $2,000 and he did receive relatively little corporate help compared to recent campaigns. But he did not get it all from $30 donations.
I do like his wife (she always looked so put together even in non-designer clothes, she is so confident and wears almost anything well.) I hope Obama is able to make good changes for the country. I think Oprah’s offer may have come from a good place, but she seems to want to interject herself into his campaign and victory. I am sure she would love the press of Michelle wearing her jewelry to the Inaugural Ball. But I have never cared much for Oprah, I don’t dislike her but I am not a fan. 😀
I wouldn’t watch Palin on anything. I suggest she take advantage of any opportunity she has to sell her book. After it’s printed, pushed and pulled from the shelves, her 15 minutes will be over. This woman has no future on the national stage. Those of you who think she does are as in tune with that concept as you were with the overwhelming sentiments of the electorate in the general election!
I doubt a US governor needs the celebrity pimp OPRAH for any book selling boost. It’ll sell on it’s own. She too busy prepping for a run in 2012 and running the state of Alaska. People who care about image such as Obama & his fashion challenged wife need her, her air time & her jewelry.
YAWN. This is old news.
Oprah and Palin should be able to like whoever they want to like, too bad public scrutiny makes such a decision more complicated for them than it otherwise would be for an average person