Oprah Winfrey’s glitzy hour-long special with Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday night was not a feature of a serious presidential campaign, but instead a celebrity-obsessed public relations program intended to win what’s become a popularity contest.
If anyone tuned in to hear a few substantive questions about why Harris has changed so many of her policy positions, it should have been obvious what to expect by Oprah’s first question.
“Can you feel the joy rising in here?” she asks after screaming Harris’ name.
“Kamala Harris!!!!!!!!!!” Oprah to Momala: “Can you feel the joy rising in here?” Harris: “I can!” Unite for America Rally with Vice President Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey. pic.twitter.com/TbKeRfOAV3
— Brent Baker 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) September 20, 2024
The virtual rally in Michigan marked one of Harris’ few media appearances since she became the nominee. She had only previously done one joint interview with her running mate on CNN, one brief 10-minute interview on a Pennsylvania television station, and one daytime forum with journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
On CNN, Harris barely got pushed on anything; in Pennsylvania, she barely got asked anything; and at the NABJ conference in Philadelphia, she was merely warmed up for the town hall about girl power with Winfrey. Her first question at the NABJ summit was also about how “joy” makes Harris feel all sweet, cute, and cuddly inside.
“Why is joy important to you to insert into this election?” was literally the first thing moderators
