The Oprah Effect: One Million Votes, Study Says

How much did Oprah Winfrey's endorsement help Barack Obama? Quite a lot, a new study concludes. Economists at the University of Maryland find that Oprah's endorsement brought Obama 1,015,559 votes. The researchers linked subscriptions to Oprah's magazine and participation in her book club to increased voter participation.

The study concludes:

The results of this study suggest that Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama during the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary had statistically and politically significant effects on Obama's political outcomes. Winfrey's involvement increased the share of the vote and the campaign contributions received by Obama, as well as the overall level of voter participation.

The whole study can be read here.

Comments

[Rog49Thomas]

Sister Oprah's endorsement brought Brother Neo precisely 1,015,559 votes.

Not 1,015,560.

Nor 1,015,558.

But exactly 1,015,559.

No wonder that "economists" are held in such low esteem.

[edwarvir]

jealous!

[honeydiva]

how the he ck do you know? where you there counting?

[Dreamers101]

Let me ask you all a question, what does this do to Clin’ton(s) legacy Mr./Mrs. Hill’ary supporter if this continues? Are you certain that Bar’ack can win without there votes, you over there supporting Senator O please think about it?

I’ll tell you what a very capable and talented statesman once said it was true back then and it is still true today Demo'crats.

Ask yourself if this applies to you.

"It's like these guys take pride in being igno'rant"

I know this is harsh but Dem’s aren’t we critical thinkers and adults you know the ones that Rethuglicans des’pise so much, so why aren’t we all smarter then this and call for national unity under one Democratic flag?

[PennP]

I am tired of people trying to infect Obama's candidacy with the Clintons and their woes.

Bill Clinton can take care of his own legacy. It's not our responsibility, or our concern.

We who are so inclined are unified behind Barack Obama. Those who are unwilling or incapable, who are more invested in a cult of personality, or holding a grudge, or a deranged interpretation of feminism, or their own political futures are the ones who are refusing to fall in. They've had two months and a heck of a lot of stroking and unearned respect, and they've gotten worse, not better. They can either get on board or continue the hissy fit, but it's not reasonable to suggest that we have any further obligation to them. This has become a pointless and unproductive diversion. The olive branch is always out, but we've got work to do. Let's move on to the real business of getting President Obama elected!

[mbsq]

Hillary ran the most sexist gender-baiting campaign in recent times. And she seemed to think it requires "cojones" be a good leader. Women should be ashamed.

[Dreamers101]

Please no insults I would like to see real dialogue with Hill’ary supporters what good does it do if we all continue to insult each other with this and with that and being divisive.

Bar’ack will be the nominee and Hill’ary and her supporters can play a big roll and reversing the course that American is on now.

We need to get our country back and it should not be about who does it but how we as the voter make certain that it’s done.

Democrats for a better America 08

[jupitor]

How can you have a dialogue with Hillary supporters, when Hillary keeps aging them on to her own selfish motives, and not doing what she and Bill should be doing! Go to her sight. Some intellegent people tried to have a dialogue with them, and they told her to get lost! this is why we will never have a femal president now after what Hillary has pulled! It hurts but it's the trueth! Do you see any other male candidate who lost the nomanee or their spouse acting this way? Of course not, nor do their supporters! She has set into events in our history that will keep us women in the offense and away from high possitions for a very long time! Never will the world want to go through again what they have with the Clintons this last year! If she don't fly right in this convention, it's the end of her career, and any future women's nomination for a very long time! Even bussiness's will think twice of putting women in their high possitions, after this!

[Carnacamarna]

See, jupitor, this isn't helping. Why are you still blathering on? And Hillary has advanced the notion that a woman can be the candidate of a major party and eventually President.

[edwarvir]

Dreamers101 You are right. But you can't talk to people who refuse to
acknowledge that they have a problem. Hillary's and Bills problem is they
don't respect the American people . We have a right to vote for whoever we think
will be the better president. That has always been the American way. I think
Senator O is that man.

[mredder4]

Yes, you are so right, it is obvious that the most successful Democratic President in 50 years has no respect for the American people. How true! And it's obviously why he won a second term, and ended his time in office with solid approval ratings, and left the country in an economic upswing.

OR...

Maybe your time sense is off and you're confusing Clinton with Bush Jr. Seriously, this Obama-supp­orter-bash­ing-Clinto­n(s) thing is tired, especially since they vilify the Clintons now worse than they ever did to Bush, who had actually done evil things, instead of the paranoia generated in the minds of these wingnut Democrats who have no respect for moderates, who have always been, remain, and will always be the backbone of both parties.

[pupbayer]

Then you really need to READ what people write and reply accordingly instead of replying with something that has nothing to do with his or her posts and accusing them of bickering and yelling and actually read the message. Dialogue is a 2-way street.

[MillerMan]

I wonder how many millions of vote HRC received because she is white and a woman. I'm certain it's far more than this supposed number that Barrack received because Ophra endorsed him.

Hard working white americans.­....yeah ok.

[truthyguy]

It is offensive to people who actually weighed the choices in the Dem primaries to suggest that 1,000,000 of them blindly voted as they were told to by some talk show host.

It may make interesting gossip or good publicity for Oprah, but it is far from the truth that she influenced the election in a meaningful way or dictated the outcome.

[blasphemera]

What about the untrackable number of church congregations who voted for Bush because their Pastor or Priest told them to? (I love learning about Milgram!)
While it would be nice to think that Obama won those votes from honest retrospection, the truth is probably much uglier.

If you talk to my mother or to her friends (All of them older, conservative, white women who are planning to vote for Obama), you will know what influence Oprah has.

[truthyguy]

That is another thing that bugs me. With separation of church and state, why are we subsidizing churches through income tax exemptions when they use their pulpits for politics? If they want to be involved in the political system and endorse candidates, fine - but do it on your own dime and not my tax dollars. Why should I pay taxes to cover myself and the taxes the churches would otherwise pay?

[Americatortures]

Wow, she's a bigger star than Ann Coulter!

[benne]

Dear Barack Obama Supporters:

If you want unity work for justice. That is, if you want unity, you better be for the principle that the NOMINATING Convention is conducted in a democratic fashion. If it becomes another media forum and if there is no honest roll call vote, a lot of people will be walking. The Democratic Party must prove now that it's democratic, and that means it has to be process oriented as well as result oriented. Of course, this would have all gone away if your guy didn't have such a super-big ego and had to insist that he "select" his VP, as he was selected. If he had put Hillary on the ticket, weeks ago, we would already be unified, and he'd be 20 points up.

[speakyourmind]

Hillary and all of her followers need to SIT DOWN. It's pathetic and annoying. You're just embarassing yourselves.

[HypeFreeZone]

Aren't you being a "little" presumptuous?

[Sabreen60]

LOL. Do you REALLY think you are in a position to threaten people???? Get a life!!!

[karaplanet]

Uhhh...'hi­s super big ego had to insist that he "select" his VP...

WTF?

Just who, other than the presumed nominee, is supposed to select their VP?

[rabprevent]

benne,
how does Obama do this when Bill will not provide enough info so his wife can be vetted? He wants to continue to give speeches for big money and if you ask me, he does not want his wife to get the VP role.

I truly believe it is in the hands of Bill and he does not want to get his wife into the white house as a VP!!

TELL BILL TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY INFO FOR HIS WIFE TO BE VETTED!!

[renatam]

This is the crux of the cross-validation of McCain and Clinton -- who have "travelled" together and become "friends."

If Clinton or McCain win, there will be no vetting of either's DEALS via spouses who are worth hundreds of millions and clearly conflicted. They do not submit to full vetting of their business interests.

Further, Bush Inc. will not be vetted by Clinton or McCain. Bill has fostered a "friendship" with George H. W. Bush Sr. and gotten Dubai Port DEALS (Halliburton relocated to Dubai) and other DEALS done w/former Soviet Nations -- courtesy of Bush/Cheney's State Department. Point in fact, the $500mil for the Clinton Library is only the tip of the iceberg. The $120mil income in 7 years of "speeches" is complemented by an immediate WAR CHEST of $100mil for Hillary's Presidential RUN (in 7 years as sitting JUNIOR Senator from NYS) -- and...of course, the Foundation's couple hundred million.

My friends, as McCain would say, Bush Inc./Clint­on Inc. have been a financial juggernaut and our State Department has become a defacto Commerce Department -- for Bush/Cheney/Clinton dynasties -- replete with huge staffs paid for by American taxpayers. It is all very FLUID and convoluted.

I don't blame John McCain (and Cindy) for wanted to join this train of commoditizing interests of American citizens and leveraging our Military for profiteering/no bid Government contracts -- and guarantors of future BUSINESS DEALS.

[renatam]

Too bad Hillary Clinton's "supporters" are, as were Bush/Cheney's to our detriment, easily manipulated by a focus on faux (and new?) feminist ardor from a Senator who told New Yorkers she would NOT run as a feminist and did not want special consideration as a women. She also told us she had NO PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS. LIES, lies and more lies.

[mergina]

Personally, if 1 million voters went to Obama because of her, at least twice that number went the other way because of her display. She OBVIOUSLY jumped on the Obama bandwagon because of race. She has never supported a presidential thus before.

[cindyw]

I don't understand why people get offended when they think a black person supports Obama because of his race. Blacks have had 43 white presidents, and how many times have we heard that people want to vote for the candidate who's "one of us"? Maybe blacks would too, and if he's qualified, as Obama obviously is, what's the problem? If the only criteria for black voters was race, then Jesse Jackson might have been elected.

[patrickjkiger]

Obama is "one of us." He's an American. In fact, in terms of demographic trends, he looks a lot more like the new America than John McCain does. Plus he's a lot cooler.

[indeevoter]

THANK you! Black people don't have a SINGLE thing to apologize for with regard to supporting Obama. Blacks have been showing up at the polls and voting for white males since we were allowed to vote. Black people, before they could vote in years past, were forced to reply correctly to questions most voters today (of whatever color) couldn't answer. Black people have been threatened, beaten and some even killed to keep them from going to the polls to vote - for white males! And, yes, if color was all important Shirley Chisolm, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have gotten more than 80% of the AA vote just as Clinton and other Democrats have ALWAYS gotten. Instead those three got an insignificant percentage of the black vote.

We've already proven we're willing to vote (in huge numbers) for someone of another color. We'll see in November if white voters are willing to vote for Obama in anywhere near the numbers that blacks have voted for whites over the span of many decades.

[Sparky123]

Did you ever think that she just might like what he has to say, race or not?

[HypeFreeZone]

"She OBVIOUSLY jumped on the Obama bandwagon because of race".

And you know this for a fact??

[mairs]

And all the women who jumped on the HRC bandwagon just because she was the first woman candidate for the presidency. This is a big yawn. So what?

[Sabreen60]

Your misleading statements (and I'm being nice) are not based in reality. What Oprah said was that she had never PUBLICLY endorsed a c@ndidate. And you are just place stupid if you think Oprah endorsed 0 simply because of his race. The stupidity of people like you is simply amazing. Whom did you endorse? Was it because he/she is WHITE or FEMALE!!!??? Huh??? What did you say????

[TeeLolly]

I was paying close attention to the news when Oprah endorsed him. I saw nothing that even remotely suggested that her decision to back "the One" was based on race. She never endorsed Jesse Jackson. There have been African-American candidates for house and senate seats across the country; while there have not been many, Oprah hasn't endorsed them even though they're black. Moreover, while some voters may have voted on the person she endorsed becasuse of her endorsement, I'm sure there are many more who were inspired to take a good look at the candidate she endorsed, and then made their own, independent decisions to support him.

[Dreamers101]

Dear Hill’ary supporters

Please unify with the party and don’t hate Bar’ack or Op’rah or any of there supporters or viewers the die has been cast for this historical election.

Would you please join the Democrats and the millions of Americans as we seek to take back our country and win this election?

Bar’ack supporters it is time to put an end to all this bickering and back and forth, let’s all stop naming calling and the bitterness and unify!!!!!

DEM’S YES WE CAN!!!!!!

[mergina]

I can hear the reply from all of those supporters. WHY IS SHE NOT BEING MADE HIS RUNNING MATE TO INSURE VICTORY? WHY IS OBAMA AND HIS HUGE EGO THINKING HE CAN WIN WITHOUT HER SUPPORT AND HER VOTERS?

[Dreamers101]

I know but cooler heads need to prevail we need to start seriously thinking about this country, if we all stop and think about it, the Rep’s whole thrust was to divide the Dem’s into two parties during the primaries.

I have said something’s as I am sure you have and they have but we need to think about a better and brighter America and we can not do that unless we truly unify and take back this country both Bar’ack and Hill’ary are but a small part of that this is about us and not them to be truthful.

[neesy08]

the same can be said about her, and it should be. her hugh ego said, "i do not have to plan beyond super tuesday, cause i will rap up the democratic nomination that night"!

so barack needs her because, hmmmmmmmmm, let me think, why does he need her.?he needs her because she is in debt? or is it she needs him to help pay off the debt that is her creation? she needs him more than he needs her. she is out!

[HypeFreeZone]

"WHY IS OBAMA AND HIS HUGE EGO THINKING HE CAN WIN WITHOUT HER SUPPORT AND HER VOTERS?"

Will you stop with the "huge ego" stuff or is this the new codeword for "uppity"?

I posed this question before and I'll ask again:

Isn't it hypocritical of some of Hill's supporters who claim B O has no experience and has not achieved anything to qualify him to be president, to insist that he put her on the ballot as his VP??

Are you people so desperate and power hungry to risk having her on a ticket that is "doomed"??

If you are so sure she'll win in November, why not appeal to her to form a 3rd party and run for election?

Just a little reminder: Hill contested the primary election to become the nominee and not VP.

[mredder4]

Actually, most of the posts about it come from paranoid Obama supporters. I voted for Clinton in the primary and wouldn't want to see her on Obama's ticket.

[teacheng]

Thank you!

[openhand]

Million Women March...

[Dreamers101]

I am asking that we unify and call in all this bickering from the primaries, this serves no purpose but to keep Dem’s divided.


Stop the bickering stop the yelling and unite

Dem’s for a better America 08

[ABCD]

I hear you but I dont think the so called Hillary backers are really Democrats.
I think they are Republicans posing as upset hillary backers.

Ignore them. If they think we will change our vote based on them ...then they have another thing coming. I absolutely believe that the next POTUS will be Mr. Obama.

Look, If there really is a woman out there thats really upset with the way HRC was treated during the primaries and they really in their heart believe that Barack was the cause then they should vote for McCain. And they should be proud. I just hope they are really happy with their vote and themselves afterward.

Obama 08/12

[shel3364]

I think if the women want to march in Denver to celebrate the Women's RIght to Vote and the fact that we had a woman get so close to the presidency in less than 100 years after getting that right....I say go for it. I'm with you. Celebrate your a$$es off.

But if they're marching to protest that female candidate lost and are trying to force an issue with the convention­..... I say dumb mobe

[mairs]

Yes, the millions of women who voted for BO. Of course they get forgotten about. Oh yeah. Them.

[LaFilleEnRose]

I don't get it. What is it that went wrong for you Hillary supporters. Did not more women vote in the primaries than men? So no matter how many women voted for Hillary that still means that many, many still voted for Barack.

Your candidate didn't win through a democratic process and so you are going to bully your way -- or try to -- into getting what you want. That's not feminism, trying to disenfranchise other women, that's either racism or neo-conservativism, or both. And you are using the "woman" thing as justification.

Hillary didn't lose because she was a woman, she lost, just barely, because of the type of woman, person, that she is. For many of us, we believe she sent our dearest treasure to a needless war where so many innocents died, in order to sound tough enough to run for election. And you Clinton zealots share some of that willingness to be destructive for your own self-centeredness.

You are not feminists. Trying to take away our rights by doing your best to overturn the primary election or ruin his chances so your candidate might get a better chance in four years is not feminism..­.it's neo-conservativism at best. Do what you will, but just don't lie to yourselves that you have a good cause. Because women HAVE spoken. You just don't like what many of them have said.

[Sabreen60]

Bravo !!!

[CindyV]

We lost because the superdelegates continued to flock to Obama even after Hillary was winning the primaries. (bought out?) Hillary was winning these primaries even after the msm and Obama supporters were saying the race was over. But it wasn't. We're mad that the DNC had their hearts set on Obama and did everything they could to crown him the nominee while ignoring or dissing Hillary. And finally we are mad because Hillary is the best candidate the dems have to win in November. If Obama were god's gift to politics as y'all seem to think, he should be ahead in the polls by double digits. The most recent polls say the issue is his experience -or lack thereof. Hillary is experienced. She knowledgeable (blowing O and the others away during the debates) and she knows how to get things done.

[Sabreen60]

It's possible that she impacted her viewers. But I don't know anyone who was influenced by her. Maybe those who didn't know 0 early on felt more comfortable with him after her endorsement. But I doubt if people who would not have voted for him changed their mind just because she endorsed him. I also think this is a non-story.

[PoliJunkie]

When Oprah came out and announced she was endorsing O, I was shocked, you see Oprah never endorses anyone as a candidate for POTUS. She has had all of the many past Presidents, candidates, etc on her show. But when she endorsed O, I just knew she believed in her heart and her most brilliant mind that this was the guy who can help Americans. Oprah is a true humanitarian who will give what she can to make this country better for years to come. YES WE CAN!!!

[Justsaynodeal]

What she knew for sure was that he was black!

[williamg]

It's amazing how PUMAs like you see a constant racial component in all things 0bama.

Good riddance.

[clearthinker2008]

Really now, and you say that with a exclamation point like you've really accomplished something spectacular. Sorry, but you didn't.

[TeeLolly]

She also knew "for sure" that he is male, that he is skinny, that he is married, that he has two daughters, that after graduating from Harvard Law School, rather than moving into a cushy Wall Street job earning millions of dollars a year, he got involved in community organizing ...

[ABCD]

WHAT?!? what do you mean he's BLACK?! -

Oh, That changes everything! I am not voting for him. I'm gonna have to vote for McSame/McCain.

All they said about that Obama fella was that he was smart, that he was a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School

They said he believed in a woman's right to choose and McCain didn't.
They said he wanted to end the war in Iraq and McCain didn't.
They said he voted to secure a woman receives equal pay and McCain didn't.

Sure, there was a bunch of other stuff said and I didn't really pay to much attention to but, It really doesn't matter if your telling me NOW that he is back. Shoot - I wouldn't have wasted all my time liking him.

I don't know about you but I am definitely voting for McSame/McCain!

Huh! I aint no fool! Me...vote for a black guy....Not in this life time. Right...NO­T!!@!!

Obama08/12

[pamelav]

I recently heard that Oprah's popularity and viewership took a hit because of the endorsement. One of things that many of Oprah's fans like about her is her impartiality when it comes to politics. Her decision to endorse has not helped her brand. Of course, I don't think she cares.

[bryansmith]

zzzzzz

[Dreamers101]

Maybe you shouldn’t have read the article just based on the head’line. I’m just saying

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

And isn't she special.

[clearthinker2008]

Actually, she is special. We all are in our own little way.

[blasphemera]

Special doesn't qualify anyone to run for president. GB won in spite of being special with lots of help, but most special people just don't have the resources.