A surprise: Oprah pays a real cost for supporting Barack Obama

(UPDATE: This Ticket item has aroused so much interest, traffic and hundreds of comments that a new one has been published this morning. After you've read this item and are ready to go to the new one, just click here to read the reactions of hundreds of Oprah fans and former fans. Thanks for reading.)

Most of the attention on the O2 effect -- Obama and Oprah -- has been focused on how much the daytime TV cult leader helped her home state senator by endorsing him and appearing at all those rallies in Iowa and South Carolina with Barack and Michelle.

The 54-year-old Chicago TV hostess certainly helped raise a hefty chunk of change by loaning out her estate for that Obama fundraiser last summer.

Oprah Winfrey has long enjoyed an immense popularity tied to her long-running daytime TV show, which started in 1986, and helped give her favorable ratings around 78% by 1996. So well known is she that one name will suffice, as in our headline.

In one 1999 survey of the most admired and respected 20th-century women, Oprah (26%) came in only second to Mother Teresa (33%), who didn't have her own TV show. And in 2003 a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll found that 60% thought Oprah was a more powerful woman than someone named Hillary Clinton, a former first lady and senator, who drew only 28%.

Fourteen months ago, a Gallup/USA Today poll found 74% of Americans had a favorable view of the TV personality.

Then on May 1 last year, Oprah announced during....

the Larry King show that she was, for the first time, going to throw her considerable weight behind a political candidate -- Obama.  King's suspenders nearly snapped.

“I think," she told old Lar, "that my value to him, my support of him, is probably worth more than any check.” Although, to be honest, her estimated $2.5 billion in wealth could buy an awful lot of TV ads in Indiana. It might even be able to purchase the Hoosier State. 

But little attention has been paid to the effect of Obama on Oprah. Now along comes Costas Panagopoulos, an assistant professor of political science at New York's Fordham University, to ask and answer just that question.

Writing at Politico.com, he suggests the aging empress of TV has paid a price for getting into the dirty business of politics with and for her man Barack. By August last year, a CBS poll found her favorable rating had plunged from 74% to 61%, still twice as good as the president but nearly a 20% drop.

Around Thanksgiving she announced that not only was she supporting Obama, but she would campaign with him and we'd see if her political recommendation carried as much weight as her book recommendations. Oprah's political travels produced a media feeding frenzy and a publicity bonanza with women routinely fainting in the front row. The campaign said her rallies produced 10,000 new volunteers.

Winfrey campaigned for Obama in Iowa, which he won, in South Carolina, where he won, and in New Hampshire, where he lost. We haven't heard much about Winfrey since the voting started. Did she realize something we're just getting?  We heard only that she left the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ several years ago, reportedly over some of his more militant sermons that Obama says he never heard.

But 10 days after the campaign media explosion her favorable rating had dropped further to 55% and her unfavorable ratings for the first time climbed to 1 in 3.

A December ABC/Washington Post poll of Democrats found 8% were persuaded by her Obama endorsement, 82% said it wouldn't matter either way and 10% said her recommendation had turned them off Obama.

Now, Panagopoulos has discovered an AOL TV popularity survey of 1.35 million Americans that found 46% said the daytime TV host who "made their day" was Ellen DeGeneres while only 19% chose Winfrey. Forty-seven percent said they'd like to have dinner with Ellen, while only 14% chose Oprah.

Apparently, neither Ellen nor Oprah were asked who they'd like to dine with.

Panagopoulos draws the conclusion that in these days of pervasive media, in reality, celebrity endorsements run the real risk of costing the celebrity more than they benefit the endorsee. So celebs may want to think twice before hitting the stump.

But then how many hundred million dollars a year does an assistant professor at Fordham pull down?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Newsday, Archdiocese of Colombo

Comments

[jerry]

I can honestly say I've never watched Orpah or the Ellen show. What a terrible waste of one's time. BTW, the Rev. Wright bigotry sealed the deal on Obama. He will never be President even if he beats Clinton. No way. Not now...not ever.

[doceraufmu]

20% of 74 % is 14.8%. A 13% drop is nearly a 14.8% drop. Therefore a drop from 74% to 61% is nearly a 20% drop.

Oprah usually does not endorse candidates, but when she supported a candidate for the first time, that candidate was black! This could be taken to be racism by her many white fans since she never endorsed a white candidate (e.g. Bill Clinton or John Kerry).

[coolarrow]

Oprah lost me when I realized that she was not a Christian but rather a new ager. Obama would never get my vote cause he has way too many negatives about him. He is of muslem descent(we are fighting a war against his muslem "brothers"). His middle name is Hussein(sp) which means son of mohamed if Im not mistaken. He hangs with the terrorist of the Weather Underground and he does want to talk things out with the muslim terrorist, yeah right thats gonna work. It does sound good if your an idiot. He will give this country over to the enemy. He has done nothing but divide. Maybe he has given a lot of people hope cause he has mentioned change, but what change? I know he claims to be a Christian but what is his definition of Christian. It does make a difference you know. I think the changes he wants to make would change this country so much that it would not be the same at all. And the way this country is today is so much better than anything else in this world today or in the past. Ok all you dyed in the wool Barrack Hussein Obama Jr. supporters can attack away and show your stupidity/blindness.

[BOB SCULLY]

yo, knuckleheads-it is close to 20%. actually 17.6%. think of it like this: if you used 20% of your god given brains and then started using just 10% of your brains that would be a 50% drop not a 10% drop. can you comprehend this higher math?

[Keish]

She still has 7 million veiwers a day and that has not droped so that's the real marker all this other stuff is just fodder.

[Melissa]

I'm not voting for Obama because of Oprah. I'm voting for Obama because he is the best candidate for the Presidency -- period.

And folks just need to get over Rev. Wright. Sen. Obama has his own opinions and is in this race to the WH, not Rev. Wright. Enough said. Move on, people. Plus...I trust what Sen. Obama says -- a heck of a lot more than Hillary or McCain. There's nothing I trust about them.

[Melissa]

I'm not voting for Obama because of Oprah. I'm voting for Obama because he is the best candidate for the Presidency -- period.

And folks just need to get over Rev. Wright. Sen. Obama has his own opinions and is in this race to the WH, not Rev. Wright. Enough said. Move on, people. Plus...I trust what Sen. Obama says -- a heck of a lot more than Hillary or McCain. There's nothing I trust about them.

[usherrick]

Oprah is now out in the open. Her choice to support a black candidate, her first endorsement, is obvious as a racial decision. She could have endorsed Bill Clinton many years back or some other Liberal. Maybe now a few have awoken from their fantasy of a colorblind princess as they spend their days on wasteful jibber jabber.

[Donna Gasper]

As of 4/10/08 I will no longer watch OPRAH. I have waited long enough for OPRAH to come out say Mr. Wright is Mr. Wrong ....for a Pastor, Spokes Person or Mentor for anyone in this Country. I'm not ready to go back to 1968. DJG

[It is]

60% of the times I read this article the math is right 100% of the time. Wow.... I hope the statisticians that think 74% to 61% is a 13% change don't work for my insurance company. If they did and I had a 74% chance of dying and cut that chance in half.... according to them I would have only reduced my chances by 37%. If I reduce the chances of dying 50% I want to know about it at least 61% of the time. Either way they would only reduce my premium -4.2%.

[lambee-pie]

Joey.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Perfect. I totally agree with you.
Another thing that I noticed regarding Oprah O'bigot booster: many years ago I began watching her body language and noticed that everything seems to be about her. She is jaded and insincere,self absorbed and disingenuious.
I made my decision after careful study to quit watching her.
Then when she backed obambi O'bigot, I knew she was what I had suspected all along.
Whack job.

All the money in the world can't buy you class. Ask teddy kennedy-Clintern -teddy turner-juan why the long face-kerry- /TttttEEEEErrrrraAAAAAAssssaaaakerry...pass the ketchup...BABs...hilton...spears....jackson....ojojojojojojoj...
shrillary.....

But Mitt and Fred and George and George and Cheney and Riceand The Nuge..and Laura and Reagan and Mother Theresa and C. Thomas and Scalia and Roberts...they have money and class.

[Peter]

I could never understand how these so-called "celebrities" could be stupid enough to state their politics and try and cajole others to follow their political views. The Springsteens of the world, the American hating Sean Penn, the Larry Davids and on and on and so many others who immediately lose 50% of their audience because they couldn't keep their mouths shut.
Their politics is nobody's business but their own. They are not experts on foreign policy or anything else.
They are either singers or actors, for God's sake and yet they have the gall and utter arrogance to spout their half assed beliefs as if they had any understanding of what is going on in the real world , yet in their stultified minds, living in their ephemeral world where reality simply does not exist, they think they have an impact on what real people think.

Watch the smart ones- those who say nothing- they're the ones we will be remembering - not the clowns we have now.

[ed]

I guess Uncle Hant is right, Oprah does look like 500 lbs of bear liver in a plastic bag

www.fredoneverything.net

[sog]

The professor's study may be worthless, but there's nothing wrong with his math. It's kind of amazing that so many people can't understand that a change from 74% to 61% is a loss of almost 20% (actually closer to 18%.) If her popularity went from 74% to 37%, she would only be half as popular as she was - a 50% loss.

[Michele]

I'm sick of Oprah. She's everywhere, in our face 24/7. Thank God for Ellen DeGeneres.

[brian77]

hey guys, the difference between 74% and 61% is 18%, which is nearly 20% as stated.

[Tropics]

Oprah may not have endorsed anyone before quite the way she has Obama, but I'd venture a guess that the free air time and 'friendship' that she gave Arnuld and Maria didn't hurt him in the govenator sElection.

Oprah proved that she has a big old racist chip on her shoulder when that clothing store wouldn't say open late for her majesty. God forbid that the little people may want to leave work on time. Why, why ,why....... it had to be because she was black. It can't be because she's an asshole with a sense of entitlement.

[Jeff]

'had plunged from 74% to 61%, still twice as good as the president but nearly a 20% drop." Since when does 13% magically round up to 20%?'

74% to 61% is a 13 percentage point drop. 13 is 20% of 74.

[Roger Kissimmee]

Well this is very interesting. The majority of Oprah Viewers are probably Clinton Fans. Were these housewives turned off by Oprah because she backed a man, instead of a woman ?

Its odd to me that Hillary Fans love watching comedic lesbians. That they make the housewives day. Nothing against lesbians for sure, I am gay myself, but its odd how housewives love talk show lesbians. I mean come on, first there were the Rosie Fans, then when Rosie went off the air, they were with Oprah (sexuality uncertain) and now they are fans of Ellen. Hmm , what does that say about Hillary's sexuality? Can it be that housewives can sniff out a lesbian over the airwaves? Do they have HD gaydar ? Hmm. I do not really want to find out, but if you do, there is a new book out. Obamomaniacs are from Mars, and Hillary Clintonites are from URANUS. Available at bookstores near you.

[EBOB]

FOR YOU MATH IDIOTS FOLLOW ME NOW

74% X 20% = 14.8% 74% - 61% = 13%

13% TO 14.8% = NEARLY 20%

NOW GOT BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET EDUCATED IN MATH

[Dev]

I'm not sure of anything the Press reports anymore. They rip people apart or create mythical creatures. It's always one extreme or the other. Every poll seems to tell a different story. I guess we basically only know what we personally think or believe.

Maybe her support of Obama hurt her or maybe it was just that she has been around awhile and Ellen has less baggage and is lighter and seems more fun to hang out with. Fame always has it's ups and downs. Phil Donohue was once King of the talk shows before Oprah and then she took the lead...maybe it is just the way things work. People get bored and more on to something they perceive as new and different. They literally just change the channel.

[Brock]

Read his book. It will make you vomit,,

[Mike In Texas]

Oprah has better judgement than Obama

Oprah quit that "church of hate" immediately.

Oprah for President.

[Earl]

It's true that Orka Windbag still has a hug following of daytime TV Zombies

make me glad to know that are a nation of McZombies
for it can be a paradise for the armed and living
just can't let them slowly mass up on us while playing or faraging.

[Big Willie]

This set of comments reinforces something that I have been told for years, "Liberals are not only ignorant but proud of it." Continuing to argue about something after you have been proven wrong and corrected (the entire percentage argument) is just sad. Liberals don't want to be questioned or corrected and if you try to set something straight you are a fascist. Also, Oprah's problems go much deeper than her Obama endorsement. Just check out her anti-Christian programming on XM Radio.

[Mark Jaggers]

Rightly so she is a racist. All the dumbed down white women love her. Soon their daughters will be geting raped even more by the animals. Good luck to ya..I am embarassed by the weakness of my race.

[secret to some sanity]

;the last time I watched Oprah she was hawking that lame overpriced shoulda been made for Tv move Titannic.
I haven't heard from Sean Penn or Madonna since the 80's

I've seen a pic of that skan Brittany Spears sp? on Drudge once

Paris is kinda cute seen one of her

but overall I don't watch or listen to those people
Is Bob Barker still on the box??

it's great

Hollywood doesn't infectt
Wall Street doesn't clept (got silver)
tand the last sewer problem "Washington DC" well I was
hoping the Arabs would finally take care of that place fur me and yout too.

[kravitz]

How Hillary lost my vote
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20080409_How_Hillary_lost_my_vote.html
You were blindsided by Barack Obama - and felt he needed more seasoning, that it wasn't "his turn."

[Granny in Georgia]

How come you Oprah/Obama people don't read the entire article before you rush to get in your comment? After announcing for Obama the favorable ratings went from 74% to 61%. After appearing with Obama the ratings dropped to 55%. When they used to teach math in school you could figure that was a total drop of 19%. My 3rd grade great-grandson can figure that out!

[Tina]

I have never like her show, I find her very annoying. I had a feeling the Obama endorsement would hurt her.

[S.J .]

I agree with BZ. I also agree that Obama should have left his Church long, long, long ago. I thoroughly agree that Oprah has lost viewers not only for the Obama fiasco, but also the New Age book, and author, she is endorsing, and promoting. In my opinion she's gone Hollywood. She used to be down to earth, one of us 'regulat' folk, and the more money she made, and the more she started hanging out in California, the less I can relate to her and her money. I no longer watch her for most of those reasons mentioned nor do I watch Ellen DeGeneres. I do like Fox News simply because they do have both sides of an issue and you can make up your own mind on the issues brought forth, which the other networks absolutely do not do. Duh, ya think they'd catch on! Oh well, I would never vote for Obama. I am disappointed that Oprah endorsed him, she sure ain't like she used to be. Too bad! I wonder why the majority of her audience is 'white women' like one of the other comments stated? One would think she'd want to please them more as she always said she wanted to empower women. She has too many Hollywood stars, unlike in her beginnings, and she has too many men, not the women and children she used to do the shows for and the social issues plauging our communities now a days.

[King County Dude]

I have never watched an Oprah show. What a bore. Everyone knows why she is supporting Obama. It's no secret. Honestly, I am shocked that her approval rating is as high as 55%. People with jobs don't have time to watch her drivel. It is amazing that Obama is still a prime candidate in a major American political party. He is about as far left as socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont and would make a horrible commander-in-chief. Can you say "Jimmy Carter II?" The Muslim extremists would walk all over him and the judges that he would nominate would be horrible for law-abiding American citizens. Might as well close down Homeland Security, too, because he is for complete open borders. Welcome to the third world, America! Only two people could make me vote for John McCain (Billary and the Obamination).

[boo]

boo. i don't care about any of these folks, but 13% is not 20%. not at all.

[Red]

Old Bag Windfull is into the new age religions I see,
well good for her may she never be found naked while in her new beliefs,
cause nobedys wants to see that

maybe Ellen Degenerate

but whatt vile Holy Gross

to let Ellen in her perversionisms with a nakkid OPE

[Gene]

I'm sick of people bashing Sen. Obama, so what ifOprah support Sen. Obama that is her choice just as we have a choice to support who we want. And it's her choice to Worship where she please. Why don't you News Media play the whole tape of Rev. Wrights and not just to get rating tell the whole truth. I see the News Media digging for dirt on Sen. Obama even when he had a break -in, in his office no big deal. We have to be careful how we bash tothers the only thing we are doing is building their blessing up by trying to tear them down. Why is hush on the Clinstons, every time Sen. Hillary get caught in a lie, I made a mistake , now this Colombia thing with Mark Penn scandal The Clinstons is guilty as hell and the questions about Bill speaking engagements on his taxes, Why is there a hush! hush! Now if it would have been Sen. Obama the News Media would say lets hang this boy, Sen. Hillary Clinston Pastor in Harlem said some very harsh things about Sen. Obama. He was called a "Honorable Pastor. Why the News Media didn't air this on TV Fox was all over this Rev. Wrights every 15 to 20 mins. and he is still the joke , Sen. Obama was made a scape goat over the half truth over a tape of Rev. Wright why Hillary don't have explain about About Mark Penn worked for every since 2007 and she didn't know, double standards agan you news media have been very unfair to Sen. Obama. Another thing People are sick of these debates tearing down the party. Sen. Clinston stop playing these mind games with the people every one see what's going on, when you don't win in the poll you try to destroy Sen. Obama and the party you need to be on one accord this is want the world need now, we all have opinions there are good ones and bad, but good out weight the bad. we can express our views without tearing each others down, Sen. Clinston build the democratic party up and not tear it down building up Sen. MCcain. and tearing down. Sen. Obama the "sometime the Road seem Clody and you can't see the Road. Things will workout. I support Oprah , she have given ("Big") to so many now they want to bash her for supporting Sen. Obama. She have been"Blessed and she have blessed so many, if Larry King didn't want her on his show so be it, because she endore Sen. Obama, wake up America and stop being narrow minded, I myself and other are turning away from TV new, because they have an agenda to go after certain people. We are trying to solve Democracy and Violence in other country and we can't solve our own problems, hate, envy and corruption.
To the News Media and America. What God has for Oprah is for Oprah and What God has Sen. Obama is for Sen. Obama and What God has for Sen. Clinston is for Sen. Clinston. God know who's being good and who's being bad. Just as we work hard trying to tearing each other down lets use the energy to solve the world issues. We don't have to go to another country, to see situations when have it at home economic problems, gang violence, people loosing their homes, jobs, kids are being short change in educations, school are closing, over 20 thousand teachers have received their pink slips just in case you don't know what a pink slip is it's a layoff notice. It's a bad feeling knowing you might not have a job in 8 or 9 months. Take time and visit sites and go to Iraq see what's going before you can say how you would solve problems. When I was an inspection, when we reject a piece of hardware we had to know why we reject the hardware. This is why you must show how you will solve the issues. Peace and Out.

[Mo Man]

dom!!!! Before you start making fun of someone's math you should think twice! When he mentions that it has fallen 20% it means from that level where it was! She did not start with a 100% rating! Then you would expect a 20% fall! Let's use our brains before embarrassing ourselves.

[Mo Man]

This blog has become more obsessed with math than the article itself! I am annoyed with Oprah, but even more annoyed with morons that can't understand this 20% concept and then sit and make fun of the editor. The problem with this election and this country is that dumb people can vote. The problem with blogs is that dumb people can post.

[foosfan]

How about some basic math that a whole lot of lliberal morons cannot understand. "IF" 10% of the people loved Oprah and it suddenly dropped to 5%, she did not lose 5% of her fans but 50% of them. If you look at the math according to liberals who cut math class to smoke dope they are so easily stumped. So Oprah did not lose quite 20% of her support, but it was darn close. Thats why Democrats don't get it....when they raise our taxes by 20% to provide national health care its not really a 20% increase but a 100% increase in taxes in the tax brackets of many Americans and more than a 50% increase for even the wealthiest tax brackets. Are you catching on yet??

[hant]

20 Euros says that when Obama and Oprah get into the Whitehouse besides the Lincoln Bed getting broke and also the windows from the sound systems
that every other week the SS will be sent to burn a cross on the lawn so Oprah will have a reason to do a show bout evil white people. or just for hand wringing

my vote is for Obama he'll make for interesting times

[J Streeter]

20% of 74 = 14.8, 74 - 14.8 = 59.2, a drop from 74 to 61 is a drop of almost 20%. Stupid libtards, math is for people with brains (i.e.,those that don't watch Oprah).

[EdKnows]

I'd much rather have dinner with Ellen...I'd really like to hit on her over desert and wine...maybe I'd be the guy to get lucky with her! She's hot! Oprah is not hot. Oprah needs to fess up and come clean on why she left that church and then she needs to tell America she's sorry for introduciing us to that racist Obama Bin Laden.

Ellen, if you're reading this, let me be the guy to change your life! (after all, you did it with Larry Sandler on HBO...ok, that was fake and it was just a TV show, but you know what I mean.) Dance with me Ellen!

[mark pederson]

Let me explain math to those that do not understand the article. A 20 point drop would be if Oprah had went from 74 to 5 4. A 20 % drop would be 20 % of 74 which would be 14.80. So 14.80 subtracted from 74 would be 59.20 which would be just below 61%. Understand?

[Dave Greiman]

You got to believe in something...

[James Dean]

Ellen? Opray? Most real Americans are at work. I can imagine the people who have time to watch these clowns. I would like a return to the days of having to be a property owner of sound mind to vote.

[mark pederson]

Let me explain math to those that do not understand the article. A 20 point drop would be if Oprah had went from 74 to 5 4. A 20 % drop would be 20 % of 74 which would be 14.80. So 14.80 subtracted from 74 would be 59.20 which would be just below 61%. Understand?

[KKKUSA]

Since I really do disagree with all that is said at the Klan rallies I've been attending for 20 years (and didn't really hear anything anyway), I think I will run for President. Seems to be the Obama way!

[Craig]

Shame on Oprah.

Shame on Obama.

[Fred Taylor]

who is this oprah person?

and who is this barack?

[MerryJoe]

In what math universe is 74% to 61% "nearly a 20% drop"?

I didn't even read the rest of the blog after digesting that doozie.

[randy]

(Dearest Peter--You and everyone else here thinking that a drop from 74% to 61% isn't "nearly a 20% drop" need to re-learn how to calculate percentages. It's a drop of 13 points. 13 divided by 74 = 17.6%. That's "nearly a 20% drop." Thanks for reading.)

WOW!!! think god someone showed these idiots how to do math!!!

(and jack, the guy with a bs in math and a mba)

wake up people, these are the ones voting!!! too bad they will have to get someone else to calculate the totals when its done!!