Michelle Deal-Zimmerman: Maryland can do without the Oprah effect in politics | COMMENTARY

I first became aware of the power of Oprah in college, when she was a featured speaker at a local university symposium. It was not long after the national launch of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” and the event was well attended by students and community members.

During the Q&A portion, an audience member asked Oprah about a common problem that local schools were dealing with: head lice. Oprah listened attentively, but her response was revealing: “What do you want me to do about it?” she asked in a puzzled tone. Because clearly there was nothing that the TV host could do personally to solve what was bugging these parents. So she wasn’t going to get involved.

Just as irritating and surely spreading, is the parasitic nature of America’s political system at this moment. Politicians are lying to constituents, defying laws, corrupting economic progress, spreading racism, courting violence and openly threatening our democracy.

What can Oprah do about any of that? Nothing. So maybe she should not get involved — and the best way to do that is to stop giving politicians of any stripe the benefit of her name.

That includes Maryland Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Wes Moore, who is attending a virtual fundraiser with Ms. Winfrey later this month. She and Mr. Moore have known each other at least since 2010, when he was a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” He also appeared on her network’s SuperSoul Sunday in 2016.

Beyond that, Oprah has a history in Baltimore, where she spent her early career as an anchor for WJZ (Channel 13), that may explain her interest in local politics.

“When I first interviewed Wes Moore in 2010, I was impressed by his sense of integrity and leadership qualities,” said Ms. Winfrey, according to a news release announcing the June 14 event. “I look forward to our conversation and hearing more about his vision for the people of Maryland.”

Clearly candidates are aware of the so-called “Oprah effect,” the idea that a recommendation from her can boost performance of a product or even a personality. A CNBC documentary in 2009 outlined the premise, highlighting businesses that had been brought back from the brink by an association with Ms. Winfrey.

That fact was still on display years later when Ms. Winfrey bought into Weight Watchers in 2015 and sent shares of the stock soaring over 100%. USA Today said her “Midas touch on Main Street has now moved to Wall Street.”

But everything she touches is not gold. At least not in politics. Yes, she endorsed then-candidate Barack Obama early on, and clearly picked a winner. And while he had appeared on Ms. Winfrey’s show, he was not of her show, so to speak.

Not like Marianne Williamson, the spiritual guru and author who was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020 and a frequent guest of the talk show host.

And definitely not like Mehmet Oz, who is running as a Republican for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Before turning to politics he was simply “Dr. Oz,” a regular guest and contributor to Ms. Winfrey’s show who discussed health issues like diet, weight loss and exercise — typical fodder for someone with a specialty in cardiology. By 2009, he had his own highly rated TV broadcast, “The Dr. Oz Show,” coproduced by Oprah’s Harpo Studios, where he offered sometimes dubious medical advice. The syndicated daytime show ended earlier this year only after Dr. Oz’s political ambitions came into focus.

It didn’t take long for “America’s doctor,” as he was dubbed by Ms. Winfrey, to become yet another symptom of America’s dysfunction. During the pandemic, Dr. Oz appeared on Fox News to discuss COVID-19, where he railed against lockdowns and school closings while touting the right wing’s favorite coronavirus cure, hydroxychloroquine. Even before that, his promotion of quick-fix health products and miracle pills was so alarming that even Congress took notice.

But would this celebrity doctor have ever had a chance to spread so much misinformation if not for his ties to Ms. Winfrey? Unlikely. She introduced him into the homes of millions of Americans, essentially vouching for his credibility. Oprah gave him the power of her name, and she will never get it back.

She has so far ignored calls for her to denounce Dr. Oz. I don’t know if that is necessary or would even matter at this point. Billionaires rarely admit mistakes, and she should be afforded all of the perquisites of that category. Her only comments have been in New York magazine, where she said: “One of the great things about our democracy is that every citizen can decide to run for public office,” according to a statement released from her spokeswoman, Nicole Nichols. “Mehmet Oz has made that decision. And now it’s up to the residents of Pennsylvania to decide who will represent them.”

Perhaps Oprah does not see that she has already played a role in helping voters decide, whether she likes it or not. Indeed, her imprimatur is so highly valued and respected that the only truly responsible way to use such influence is for herself. Oprah is the only candidate that she should endorse.

The political power of her name should not be wasted on others. So I say to Ms. Winfrey: Run for something. Anything. Or do nothing.

Michelle Deal-Zimmerman is senior content editor for features and an advisory member of The Sun’s Editorial Board. Her column runs every fourth Wednesday. She can be reached at nzimmerman@baltsun.com .