Obama-backer Oprah says no Sarah Palin on her TV show

Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire TV talk-show diva who is supporting the Democratic presidential nominee, says she will not allow the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on her daily show, which is widely viewed by women.

The 44-year-old Palin is the first female nominee on a Republican presidential ticket in the party's 164-year history, though she is little-known outside Alaska, where she was elected a reform governor in 2006.

Palin, a former high school basketball star and beauty pageant contestant, is the mother of five, an outdoorswoman and part owner in her husband Todd's commercial fishing business.

This past year Oprah endorsed Barack Obama for president. It was the first time she became publicly involved in politics.

Oprah emceed numerous rallies for the freshman Democrat senator in key caucus and primary states, drawing large crowds, donations, media coverage and many new volunteers. She also hosted a lucrative fundraiser at one of her homes, near Santa Barbara. But she has so many we can't count 'em.

Oprah's political involvement, as noted previously by...

...The Ticket, hurt her in TV ratings, though she remains clearly the most-watched such show.

Many commentors on Ticket items expressed resentment that Winfrey, who made her fortune off appealing to women, would desert the first serious female candidate to vie for her party's nomination, Hillary Clinton, another Democrat, in favor of a male candidate, Obama. She also did not have Clinton on her program during the campaign.

TMZ, the widely-read celebrity website, asked Winfrey about having Palin on her program to describe her life and views to other American women.

In a post earlier today, TMZ said Winfrey replied, "There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show."

According to TMZ, Winfrey also said: "At the beginning of this presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates."

Winfrey also said she would "love" to have the Republican candidate on her show, but only after the Nov. 4 election, which pits the Illinois Democrat Obama against Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain.

Winfrey has had Obama on her program two previous times, in January 2005 and again in the fall of 2006 shortly before he announced his presidential candidacy.

What do Ticket readers think? Is this fair? Would you watch an Oprah show with Palin and/or Obama? Do you still watch Oprah's program in the first place?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credits: Associated Press

Hey, all you new Ticket readers, to get news alerts like this and all the regular Ticket items all day and night sent directly to to your cell, go here and click Follow for free. (Veteran Ticket readers also welcome, of course.)

Comments

[Yaron Abrahim]

If you guys watch politics 24/7, 365, you would know EASILY that access to Obama before he announced his candidacy, when he announced his candidacy, and for about the first 8 weeks after he announced his candidacy, he gave very limited interviews, and as a reporter, you would feel special to get one. Current president Bush has done the same. Hillary Clinton has done the same for a short time.

Obama has been preparing for a campaign run since 2002, and on the campaign for over a year. Even so, he too needed time to learn areas that he was weak on, so his access to the media was limited. Palin is doing the same, getting synchronized with McCain's policies.

On a different topic: why is it that so many of the liberal comments on this website include vicious attacks on the intelligence of conservatives and/or suggest they are less than sophisticated due to the positions they have on issues??? Why not just argue the issues? Maybe because those who don't are NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUES IN D E P T H ??? !!! Bingo. So all we have on this site is talking points of the two parties.

[Yaron Abrahim]

If you guys watch politics 24/7, 365, you would know EASILY that access to Obama before he announced his candidacy, when he announced his candidacy, and for about the first 8 weeks after he announced his candidacy, he gave very limited interviews, and as a reporter, you would feel special to get one. Current president Bush has done the same. Hillary Clinton has done the same for a short time.

Obama has been preparing for a campaign run since 2002, and on the campaign for over a year. Even so, he too needed time to learn areas that he was weak on, so his access to the media was limited. Palin is doing the same, getting synchronized with McCain's policies.

On a different topic: why is it that so many of the liberal comments on this website include vicious attacks on the intelligence of conservatives and/or suggest they are less than sophisticated due to the positions they have on issues??? Why not just argue the issues? Maybe because those who don't are NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUES IN D E P T H ??? !!! Bingo. So all we have on this site is talking points of the two parties.

[Phyllis]

Your right ""she can have who ever she wants on her show. It doesn't matter to me because I''ll never watch it again! What a hypocritical Bigot.

[UCRAZYOBAMAFANS]

BOYCOTT OPRAH! Yeah it's her show -- but Bill O'Rielly's show is his show. He has proven to be FAIR and Balanced. I supposed that is the difference between a real journalist and simply a talk show host....

BTW just wondering...if she is not putting her on for political reasons -- why has NObama been on twice??

OPRAH loves America? I think she has proven to love her America--she is a racist because her of past actions...this just proves the point more.

[Janet]

If Oprah hasn't had any candidates on her show since they declared to run, why should she now invite Palin? Doesn't make any sense.

[OprahSheep]

Do all of you Oprah-apologists actually believe that she and Obama didn't work it out for him to appear on her show just BEFORE he announced his candidacy? They planned it so that they could use the very excuse that they are using today:

"Obama appeared on my show BEFORE he announced his presidential candidacy."

Yes, Oprah, we know. You plan well, but you're not fooling anyone!

[JoAnn]

I wish Oprah would have Sarah on. Watching Sarah try to evade legitimate questions would be great. But she really can't help it. As a woman, I know how she got where she is. She's cute. Really mean, but cute. Cute, but not beautiful. Beauty would come from within and she does not have that.

That's ok. She will have to answer in the end for all the nastiness she has done. Women, we have all known people like her - relying on her cuteness to win arguments and get her way. She won an election as Mayor of a very small town in Alaska. That propelled her to Governor, and then VP? Yikes, this makes no sense.

I would rather see someone who has some academic credentials and knows what the heck is going on with the constitution and foreign policy matters. This is not Sarah! She is a self-proclaimed hockey mom and really fits that role. I'm not being sexist. I'd say the same thing about a guy who proclaimed to be an average hockey dad and then wanted to be VP.

[Janet in Oregon]

You state that Oprah hasn't had any of the Presidential candidates on her show during the election cycle. Why should she invite Palin then? Because she's a woman. Give me a break.

[Lady C]

Tell Palin to go on Faux News. It is the equivalent of Oprah's show--an entertainment show.

I would not watch Palin if she were to go on Oprah. She is diametrically opposed to what I believe in.

[Antoinette Jenkins]

I am not an Oprah fan, but I don't detest her either. A racist she is not. THis is coming from an African American who feels that Oprah's show pretty much caters to a white America. She has picked her candidate. IF Obama were white, then no one would call her racist, they would just think she is slacking on the "women empowerment" movement. She should not be the Guru on this issue. Read the candidate's campaign websites, research their backgrounds and accomplishments, listen to the upcoming debates and then make an informed decision.

[Amanda]

Ok yes she is allowed to be a woman and support a man. Come on this is the first year a woman has made the ticket. But for someone in the direct media to not be open to let Susan share her side, is rude, and shows no character at all! Yes this is her show but for the election of our nations rulers, there should be more of an open ground. I truely believe she should lose her tv show. Susan Palin is the Vice Presidential nominee, and that shows true disrespect. I hope Mc Cain and Palin get in to the WHITE House, then they can silently laugh while making changes to our country that celebrity Obama could never give. I used to like Oprah, NOT ANYMORE.

[Andrew]

Oprah doesn't want Palin on her show - Palin might go after Oprah for using her manipulative power over women to tell them to vote for Barack.

[KW]

Who cares? It's not like the McCain camp will ever allow Sarah Palin to actually be interviewed by anyone!!! They are keeping her in hiding and sticking to canned speeches. Hmm.....

[learnright]

Oprah can have anyone on her show that she chooses. And we have choices, too.
Join me in boycotting her show and her advertisers!

Most shows are designed to please their viewers. But not hers, obviously!

[Robin]

Such astonishing racism and ignorance from white readers and viewers. The issue is not Oprah, it's about the cynical selection of a patently under qualified Vice Presidential candidate. Ms. Palin may be a fine mother and small town governor, but she was selected to stir up precisely the kind of culture war that you seem to be having on this site. Please, step back and focus on the real issues. Our country is in serious trouble. We need a PRESIDENT who will take our Foreign and Domestic policies seriously and not run a campaign that resembles the Jerry Springer Show. Do you really want someone so completely unqualified in the 2nd most powerful job in the country? This is the real world. These are our bodies that are uninsured. These are our husbands and wives that are unemployed. These are our children dying in Iraq--our constitution, our promise not to torture. This is NOT television.

[hchicks]

She can appear on OW's show after the election, what is wrong with that?

[E.J. Richardson]

This is ridiculous. Oprah can support who she wants. This is a country that grants us free speech. Oprah has had white candidates on her show before and she has has black candidates. Is every white woman that supported Obama over Clinton a racist? No. Any time a strong black woman uses her voice America calls her a racist or a sexist. Is it not possible being from Illinois herself that she actually believes in Obama?

[A Yowell]

I agree with Oprah. I frankly think Palin is a disgrace to serious women in this country, and I am insulted that the GOP thinks they can get women's vote simply by putting up a woman, an unqualified woman, and an embarrassment.

[me]

Oprah is a jerk, I would never watch her show anyways. when Palin becomes Vice President she should just laugh in Oprah's face and never except an invitation to her show.

[Pedro Dixon]

B.E. Note:
Gov. Palin is out to prove that she not only viscous dog (a pit bull). But, a woman who can crack that glass ceiling that Oprah built of women to surround Senator Obama.
It seems that Gov. Palin feels that no matter what the great and powerful Oprah Winfrey is no match for her. The rumor reports from various media source are Gov Palin are super angry with Oprah for not giving her equal time on her show. It seems that a Governor who have no qualifications for anything but lip service is out to take on two of the most powerfulness females in the United States. Oh! By the way Governor Palin need to also understand before she takes a bite out of those ladies? Oprah may just be one of the most powerfulness women in the world and the last thing she may remember is the R&B song “Who Let The Dogs Out.”. It is time to stop with the stupid personal attacks and time to read a good book on how to help the people of the United States with our economic woes. Mainly, reassure our mothers, fathers and siblings that their family members will be coming home soon to a less problem free America. The people troubling issues should be the agenda, not who have a skirt or pants on, cracking glass ceilings, pit bulls or TV shows. I hope this election will get back on track for everyone sake. God bless America and May God bless all our citizens who Is not for racism, hate or willful destruction of life and property against our citizens.

[Lisa Lindo]

Please check out www.thesarahpalinportal.com for all your Palin needs. Links to everything you've ever wanted to know about her, articles, videos, audio, blogs, etc.

[Zenshofu]

No Palin....now or ever.

[Ms. Lou]

Palin should go on Meet the Press. They won't say tell her no. If Palin is trying to avoid the media that will become a huge issue. She is obligated to make the Sunday Morning talk shows and tell the American people why they should vote for her. Obama, Biden, Clinton and all the other political figures give long interviews . She must also debate a seasoned politician like Biden. McCain has the same problem. He wants to wiggle out of debating. You got to do it. How many debates did the democrats have? Almost 100. This woman is bad news. Why do the republicans select these losers to run?

[Jean Werfel]

For decades I listened to Oprah's words of encouragement to all women, followed up by a hefty dose of her own action to improve her life as well as other women. Now she has dropped the ball....She sold out to a man.... How typical and how sad for our young female generation. For the first time in our country's history we had two women running for the White House, and Oprah chose to ignore both of them.

[Dee]

Oprah can have who the hell she wants on her show. She didn't have Obama on her show after he announce he was running for President. So why would she have Palin on her show. Yall kill me with this PALIN POWER crap. She's the biggest hypocrit. McCain is talking so much about Change now after he mocked Obama. Next thing you know Palin will be wearing pant suits. She's such the evanglistic candidate. But yet her TEEN daughter got pregnant..Especially after she preaches abstinence and is against premarital sex. Her Bristol ever heard of condoms? Hypocrits.