Oprah Winfrey was in Manchester, New Hampshire, last night as part of her very public endorsement of presidential candidate Barack Obama, and 8,500 people showed up to hear her.
The Herald sent Jessica Heslam and Mike Underwood up there. They interviewed several people who seemed to be more swayed by the celebrity endorsement than by Barack Obama's record. One woman said, "Just because Oprah believes in him, maybe there's more to him." While that surely wasn't the case for everyone, celebrity endorsements still have a disproportionate amount of power.
But Winfrey rejected pundits who suggest that her followers are sheep. In the speech, she declared, "They act like I don't know that you all got some sense, you know? I know we all know the difference between book clubs and favorite things and free refrigerators."
Even though Winfrey told the crowd to choose Obama, not her, the star power may have blinded some, including the media. For example, the New Hampshire Union Leader said Winfrey's speech resulted in a "near rapture."
The Herald's interpretation of Oprah's campaign presence.
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