Oprah for President?

Nicole Burbach, Staff Writer

Imagine: it’s the election year 2020 and you just registered to vote. Before you know it, it’s Nov. 3. You arrive at the local courthouse, grab a ballot and start reading through it.

As you’re reading, two names stick out to you: Oprah Winfrey and Kanye West. Who do you vote for?

Senior Sydney Biethman would have a hard time voting for either candidate.

“… Well, I’m taking Kayne as a joke. I highly doubt that Oprah would be running, but then again, look at who ran last year,” Biethman said. “I think Oprah would be way more legitimate of a candidate than Kanye.”

Both Winfrey and West have either subtly implied or have outright stated they will be attempting to run for president in the future. While Winfrey appears to be a more viable option, nothing can be ruled out.

West was recorded in late 2016 in a radio interview with BBC saying that he wants to be the one to make a difference in society while he still can.

“When I talk about the idea of being president, I’m not saying I have any political views,” he added. “I don’t have views on politics; I just have a view on humanity, on people, on the truth. If there is anything that I can do with my time and my day, to somehow make a difference while I’m alive, I’m going to try to do it.”

The idea of running for president emerged for both Winfrey and Kanye at different award shows they attended. For Kanye, it was the 2015 VMAs.

For Winfrey, the idea came about during the Golden Globes, after the host, Seth Meyers, joked about “a possible White House bid,” according to The Washington Post.

Later in the evening, she hinted at the idea through her acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille award: “I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon!”

If Winfrey runs, she would be running for the Democratic Party, pending nomination.

“I don’t know exactly what her policies are but (if she did run) I’d definitely believe her to be strong enough for a prominent role in government,” Biethman said.

There’s been a lot of buzz about the idea, including the trending #Oprah2020 on Twitter as well as Oprah 2020 merchandise.

“Winfrey is overwhelmed by the groundswell of support, the absolute avalanche of hashtags and phone calls about running for president,” Richard Sher, a former broadcasting partner of Winfrey’s, told The Washington Post.

So, maybe the idea of Oprah or another celebrity running for president is not so crazy after all.