2008 Audio of Oprah Winfrey’s Iowa Speech
posted by on December 8 at 17:30 PM
Remember those plans I had to drive to a Hillary Clinton event in eastern Iowa in what turned out to be darkness and snow and freezing rain? Well, they didn’t work out so well. Details in my feature for The Stranger next week, but for now let’s just say I’m very happy to be back in my warm hotel room in Des Moines.
Which gives me chance to say: I was extremely impressed by the Oprah-Obama event earlier this afternoon in Des Moines. Again, more details in next week’s paper, but for now I’ll just tell you that I’d never seen anything quite like it—and it seems like a lot of Iowans hadn’t either, until today. (Also: All that chatter about Oprah being a good candidate for political office… If she ever runs, watch out. She gave a better speech than anyone I’ve seen on the campaign trail this year, and I’ve seen all of the top three Democrats in person—Edwards, Obama, and Clinton.)
I don’t think the speech will be quite as impressive when you listen to it as an audio file. The big thing about Oprah’s performance was her delivery and her presence. But I do want to share the audio I made of Oprah’s speech this afternoon, in case any of you are interested in hearing what I saw.
Problem is, I can’t upload it to the Slog from afar because the file is too big. So for now I’m putting it on my personal blog. Click here if you’re interested.
(And confidential to Stranger tech people: If you guys want to grab the audio off my site and push it around the Slog’s upload limit, feel free. This is just my temporary solution.)
[Eli: Audio grabbed, converted, and uploaded. xoxo,Stranger tech people.]
Listen to the Oprah speech here. You’ll hear Michelle Obama first, giving a brief introduction for Oprah. Then you’ll hear (very briefly) some reporters jockeying for the best view spot. And then you’ll hear Oprah’s speech. It’s about 20 minutes long.
BONUS: Want to get inside my head while I’m writing an Obama feature that will certainly contain a section about this Oprah speech? Give the speech a listen, and then tell me what it all means in the comments.
oprah for president! how many times have i said it? i ask you.
Uh, the bible spells it Orpah, but Oprah doesn't.
@2: Ooops, I'm a little bleary-eyed right now. Thanks for the catch. Fixed it.
Oprah unleashes the women of America, good bye Hilarty and MONEY. Wealth from the black rich and millions of liberals.
Obama has the Queen in his game, she is very important, and not afraid to influence events. Wait until she summons Hollywood.
No better personal endorsement in America. None.
Her people will spruce up the campaign from top to bottom, better media, better visuals, better suits and ties, better lighting, better SPEECHES. Photo ops with Oprah and Obama, I want one.
What a boost and what a time line. WOW.
Thanks Eli, this is great.
How about an Obama/Oprah ticket? I'd quit my job to work full time on their campaign!
Why waste her on Veep? She'd make a good Secretary of Stat. ;-)
I couldn't make it all the way through the clip. I mean yes, she paused for effect in the right places, but she's an oscar-winning actress, right? Content-wise, it sounded to me like everyone else's speeches so far. Were the inspiring and/or new talking points after the halfway mark?
I've always wanted Oprah for president... could we go with anyone worse?? If not Oprah, then Will Ferrel????
great idea, eli. dunno if you are fustest to the web with this, but it is the kind of direct and creative act i expect from you, based on my experience of your writing.
and adrian, I INSIST you provide an essay expounding upon this topic. It seems I may have heard you expound upon this topic in person, or else you live inside my head.
(no, #7, she's not an Oscar-winning actress. Nominated, sure, but Color Purple went home empty handed for all of its nominations.)
Now if Whoppi (she actually WON an Oscar) goes Bats for 'Bama and gets the View-girls to be Obamatons... watch out Hillary...
I'm all for it. Oprah for HHS secretary!
#7: That won't happen, the View is my guiltiest of pleasures and Whoopi is downright hostile toward Oprah and Obama on the show. She's constantly making thinly veiled digs at Oprah "just being a talk show host". Joy seems to have a Baby Boomer girl-crush on Hillary.
Ummm.... I tast vomit at the back of my throat...
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