Oprah Winfrey Is An Independent Who Rarely Endorses Presidential Candidates…So Why Kamala Harris?

Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty

Here’s a fun fact about Oprah Winfrey: She’s a registered Independent and she only ever endorsed two presidential candidates. Both–who were honored with the rare Oprah stamp of approval–were Black Democrats, one of whom went on to be president, and the second of whom just might pull off a major upset in November.

On the third night of the Democratic National Convention, Oprah took the stage to declare her support for Vice President Kamala Harris, calling the Democratic presidential nominee the “best of America.” Backstage at the DNC, the entertainment mogul was asked by CBS Mornings co-anchor Tony Dokoupil what made her decide to come out and endorse Harris.

Oprah Winfrey tells @tonydokoupil backstage at the DNC why she took the risk of delivering a political speech to endorse Kamala Harris:

"Because I really care about this country. And there couldn't have been a life like mine, a career like mine, a success like mine, without a… pic.twitter.com/Z3ck4bLo4V

— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 22, 2024

“Because I really care about this country,” she responded. “And there couldn’t have been a life like mine, a career like mine, a success like mine, without a country like America. Only in America could there be a me.”

It also may be worth noting that neither Winfrey nor Harris have biological children because that fact which brings me to another thought…

Maybe we have JD Vance to thank for this endorsement?

During Oprah’s DNC speech, she referenced Donald Trump’s running mate’s misogynistic and archaic insistence that “childless cat ladies” shouldn’t be holding elected positions.

Lady O took that on, saying in that resonant voice we all know:

“When a house is on fire, we do not ask about the homeowners’ race or religion. We just try to do the best we can to save them,” Winfrey said. “And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady. We try to get the cat out, too.”

That line spread quickly.

Oprah: When a house is on fire, we do not ask about the homeowners race or religion. We just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady. We try to get the cat out, too. pic.twitter.com/Oms9vO3d5c

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 22, 2024

On a side note, some people on social media pointed out that the cameraperson was engaging in dirty work by panning to a random woman in the audience while Oprah delivered the “childless cat lady” reference. That “random woman” happens to be Teresa S. Woorman, who was recently appointed as a Maryland state delegate, and she seems to be pretty cool with catching the spotlight. So, that part.

Also- funny enough I recently got appointed to a legislative seat. And I got sworn in to the Maryland House of Delegates last week and I referred to myself as a childless cat lady during my remarks. But I’m in good company, @taylorswift13 @Oprah. #voteblue

— Teresa S. Woorman (@Teresa_Saavedra) August 22, 2024

Anyway, back to Vance. Last week, we reported that the Harrison Butker of politics caught heat after another resurfaced video clip caught him agreeing with a conservative podcast host that “the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female” is to care for their grandchildren. In that report, I noted that Oprah “made the conscious decision not to have children, but somehow, someway still managed to become one of the most successful business leaders in the history of the U.S.–even before she launched OWN when she was almost 60.”

Regardless of why Oprah Winfrey decided to endorse Harris, it’s a good look for the Democratic party and an even better look for Black women who are being shown that they can ascend to the most powerful and prestigious positions in the nation. In MAGA’s America, they’ll receive a lot of hate for their success, but that kind of hate didn’t stop Oprah and it didn’t stop Harris, so it won’t stop any of them.

SEE MORE:

Oprah Honors Kamala Harris As ‘The Best Of America’

NAACP President Derrick Johnson Delivers Powerful Breakdown Of Project 2025’s Impact On Black People

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