In Speech on Religion, Obama Explains His Faith in Oprah

Under pressure to explain his religious faith to the American people, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama delivered a 45-minute speech today discussing his belief in Oprah Winfrey.

In an election year that has been dominated by discussions of candidates' religious faith, perhaps no candidate's religion has been more controversial than Sen. Obama's Oprahism.

Speaking to supporters at the University of Iowa, the Illinois senator devoted his entire speech to his religious faith but mentioned Ms. Winfrey only once by name.

"My religion is a personal matter to me," Sen. Obama told his followers. "Having said that, let me make this clear: I have accepted Oprah as my host."

Later in the day, Ms. Winfrey toured the state with Mr. Obama and, in a stunning demonstration of her influence, briefly caused a solar eclipse.

"Sun and moon, do my bidding!" she roared, raising her hands above her head and delighting the crowd with the celestial display.

"Oprah is without question the most powerful force in the election right now," said Carol Foyler, 45, an Obama supporter from Cedar Rapids. "I'd like to see Bill Clinton do that."

Davis Logsdon, who studies the interrelation between politicians, religion and talk-show hosts at the University of Minnesota, said that Sen. Obama's worship of Oprah Winfrey puts him in the mainstream of American theological belief.

"Over thirty percent of Americans currently define themselves as Oprahists," Mr. Logsdon said. "And that number is higher during sweeps."

Elsewhere, the CIA created more controversy today by acknowledging that it accidentally returned several interrogation tapes to Blockbuster.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com. He hosts an all-new edition of "Next Week's News" starring Amy Sedaris. John Oliver (The Daily Show) and Christian Finnegan (VH1's Best Week Ever) at Comix on Thursday January 17 at 8 PM. Comix is located at 353 West 14th Street, just east of Ninth Avenue. For tickets, call 212-524-2500 or go to comixny.com. For a $5 discount, use the promotional code ANDY.

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Comments

[chocco]

Screw the Southern states. It it time for politicians to realize that Southern Republicans want a Christo-fascist America, so the rest of the country needs to tell them to go play with themselves and move on into the next century leaving Southerners kicking and screaming in their Jesusland. White Southerners have been a drag on this nation for too long. I am sick of it. The South eats its own. Look what the people in the South did to Al Gore. Notice Bill Clinton got the hell out of there after he left Washington? When politicians realize they need to ignore the South, then progress will begin.

[longislandlol]

Oprah is high-up on our Obameters!

[zull2]

In a way, it's good to get this whole religion drubbing out now instead of later...but it IS incredibly tiresome. A candidate's religious convictions shouldn't even be considered when selecting a president to lead the country. A candidate's conviction to improving the quality of life of her/his people should be the number one thing we care about. Quality of life encompasses everything from the environment to the US's image abroad to employment, because all of these things affect our lives much more than whether the President is Agnostic, Baptist, Jew, or Mormon. Unless that person plans on using their religious affiliation to influence decisions that could prevent the improvement of life for her/his people, that is.

[mageduley]

Here is Obama speech on the role of religion and politics given before he announced his presidential run. Both Christians and Non Christians will be inspired. It really is a MLK moment.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid463869411/bctid416343938

This should put to rest any doubts of Obama's faith.

[itsnotmyfault]

Funny...as usual. By the way I think I rented one of the movies from blockbuster..."Chairman of the WaterBoard" with Carrot Top ?

[drricklippin]

Oprah's charisma scares me. Not at all because she is a black woman. But because she is deified. No human should be deified. Hero worhip is for children- not thinking adults.

The Oprahists would do well to NOT deify her.She is the liberal eqivalent of Limbaugh's "dittoheads" who would blindly follow their leader off a cliff. That scares me.

Dr. Rick Lippin
medicalcrises.blogspot.comot.com

[Ashraft]

Ahhhh!
I cannot understand Oprahism, I always tried to assume she was villainess, but I failed at that. I will say I do not love her; I have been locked in solid neutrality. Then I figured I tried to hate her just to be a little more 'hip' and than my easily emotionalized chic roommate. So for arrogance sake, I am OK with her.

[Kally]

Guess she explains her faith in wanting to be appointed vice president. Knowing Oprah there's got to be something in this for her...But President Clinton didn't promise her anything so I guess she's out in the cold.

[demwords]

Freedom Requires Oprah!!!

[sparkandy]

I have some co workers who are Oprahists. Very devout. Oprah comes on at 3pm here. The Oprahists have pressured management into shutting the phones down between 3 and 4 pm every week day, so that all who wish to may participate in the worship sessions. Those of us who do not wish to participate generally hang out in the smoke hole or lurk around the small break room, which does not have a TV or a pop machine. Just chairs. Lately it's becoming harder and harder not to attend the services, because the pressure from those who do is unbearable and unending.
My question is, what should those of us who are Christian or Jew or Hindu or whatever do when the Oprahists pressure us to attend services? They are beginning to use ugly tactics such as not telling us what book Oprah said to read, standing in secretive groups reading Oprah's Favorite Things List, and talking to each other in a sort of language developed from Oprah's wisest sayings. Personally, I don't attend any worship services because I'd rather stand around the smoke hole bitching about work during the week, and go to the casino on Sunday mornings. Anyway, please give us some advice on handling our Oprahist co workers in a way that doesn't offend them and also doesn't require that we fold to their demands that we, too, worship as they do.
Thank you.

[liberalrebuttal]

It must scare the living crap out of some people to see three powerful African Americans together on stage with one running for President of the United States. Too much power ?

That's the only thing that I can think of to explain these off the wall attacks.

[klondiker]

Andy, my only complaint is that your blog doesn't appear often enough.

[SeanGardner]

Obama leads in new NEWSWEEK Poll out today: http://www.politicalforecast.net/2007/12/07/newsweek-gives-obama-huckabee-leads-in-iowa/

And this is BEFORE Oprah started campaigning with him!!!