Fox News surfed several Web sites dedicated to Oprah Winfrey to see what fans and critics are saying about her. Here is a sampling of those responses:
• "Oprah is highly overpaid; no one needs [a] net worth of almost a billion dollars….She isn't as selfless as she promotes herself to be; she charges for her magazine, but if she really wanted to 'educate, enlighten and improve lives,' she would dispense the information for FREE, instead of LINING HER OWN POCKETS. SHAME ON HER ..."
— "muhammed ali," message board of the "Oprah for President" site: www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "Oprah didn't change me, she molded me.... I found joy in how she changed people before my eyes for they must have seen her beauty as I did. If I would have been older, I think I would have done whatever it is that I could to have married this woman. I love Oprah Winfrey. Not as a fan or as an admirer. No, I love her as a man loves a woman who represents all that he finds good and precious about the world he lives in. Oprah is that for me.... Oprah is my friend although I have never met her. I can accept that. What is hard for me to accept is that I cannot thank her in person."
——Sean, www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/6950/oprah.html.
• "If not Oprah then why not Rosie O'Donell [sic] with Madonna as running mate. You people are nuts. Is it really realistic to see Oprah as commander in chief??"
— Jim Seiberling, on "Oprah for President" site: www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "Oprah Winfrey is a very, very brilliant woman who can think on her feet and shows excellent judgement [sic] in all aspects of her life. Not only that, but she's a woman of outstanding character, honesty, and integrity. Frankly, I think she's too good to be president."
— John, www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "I love the people that HATE Oprah."
— "Mr. Withheld," www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "To a wonderful woman who gives us all: HOPE, INSPIRATION, LOVE and BELIEF IN HUMANITY ... Thank you OPRAH ... Brightest Blessing."
— Morganna Bard, www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/6950/oprah.html.
• "I'm sorry, but I would much rather take a principled, honest man (for president) ... than someone who did an admirable job in hosting the top-rated talk show for housewives. ... All feel-good stuff that doesn't work."
— "Joe," www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "I'm a conservative Australian but I can only say this. If Oprah Winfrey would ever get into politics, it would be a blessing for millions of ordinary Americans. Over the past few years, Americans (as is the trend in many countries) have become disillusioned with the major parties and mainstream politicians. And with good reason. As such, the fact that Oprah hasn't any political experience doesn't matter a bit. She is a person just like all of us. But Oprah is very rich and very popular not just in the USA but all over the world. Furthermore, she is a woman of unscrupulous honesty, intelligence and utter integrity. These are the quintessential characteristics of a good leader. Oprah is a very capable person. My plea to Oprah is to consider a political career, at least for the sake of the people. If not the Presidency, then at least she could try the Senate, House or governorship [sic] in her home state. If this were the case, I reckon she'd have a chance of winning whatever party she runs for."
— David, www.dreamagic.com/oprah/oprah.html.
• "The variable-weight champion of daytime talk is undergoing a rare period of public repudiation. ... Her daily daytime talk show — her power and popularity base — seems to be alienating not only the predictably dyspeptic critics but even some longtime fans. They decry its new resemblance to a New Age revival tent, with Herself as the charismatic leader and a smug little coterie of self-help authors passing the collection plates and pocketing much of the proceeds."
— Steve Johnson, Chicago Tribune editorial, www.newstimes.com/archive98/nov3098/tvg.htm
• "I just want to thank God about you Oprah, you are great inspiration to me. ... You have a great spirit. ... Because of you Oprah, although you don't [know] me , today I have strength. ... I just have faith that one day I'm going to reach the sky God Willing. ... Thank you Oprah, you're my Hero and Star and ... I pray every day to the Lord that 'I meet you face-to-face.'"
— Nomsa Mninzi, www.members.tripod.de/Oprah/.
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