If you’re a Democrat, who are you going to vote for in the Democratic primary? Oh Oh! What a big decision! In view of the big brouhaha surrounding celebrity candidate endorsements lately, Hubby reminds me I shouldn’t worry! Just wait to see who all the celebritities endorse! Then we can just decide which celebrity we like the best and vote his/her endorsement. What could be more simple? Like American pie! So let’s review the list so far. 

Oprah endorses Barrack Obama. She’s so confident of her choice and “his moral authority” that she goes even further to say that she will not feature a single other candidate on the Oprah Show. Without that show, and his appearance there in 2000, Bush probably wouldn’t be in office now, Hubby sez. So, a year from now, can we expect republicans to be blaming Oprah for getting Obama elected?

Like a slew of women, I lived through my Oprah years. Her show’s philosophy the past few years has been her own life philosophy: be true to yourself, be grateful every day, transform your life, help others, and stay positive–not a bad philosophy if I do say so myself. When the show began emphasizing whatever it took to staying and looking young and hip, as an aging woman who vows to grow old with some semblance of grace, I began to take exception, and started to drift away from Oprah’s influence. 

I still respect and admire her, however. She has spurred a lot of women of all races and age to make positive life changes.  

She also re-introduced a lot of people to an activity some hadn’t participated in since grammar school–reading for pleasure. So, what’s not to like about Oprah? Shall I then follow her endorsement? Shall I vote for Barrack Obama despite my misgivings that he may be unelectable at the present time?

On the other side of the celebrity coin, Barbra Streisand comes out a few hours later with her endorsement of Hilary Clinton. Dear me!

I’m old enough that I remember Barbra from the early 1960s when her first long-play album earned two grammy awards. I was hooked from the moment I first heard her sing “People.” Not long after, when she came out with “Second Hand Rose,” I knew I’d be her fan for life. When I was single and had money for such things, I bought all her albums. So she’s backing Hilary. So NOW what do I do?

Ashton Kutcher and Dennis Hopper both support John Edwards. Though he’s really cute, Ashton Kutcher is too young for me, and Dennis may have dabbled a little too much in the pharmaceutical realm in the sixties for me to pay attention. Or should that matter? They are celebrities after all.

Enough of that! Let me say here and now, that thanks to Oprah’s influence on me in the past, I’m a woman with my own mind and life philosophy and trust my own instincts. I’ll watch the candidates and judge their positions on the issues they favor, keeping in mind the issues I feel are most important.

Thanks Oprah, I’ll be watching your man Obama. Thanks to you too, Barbra, for your support for Clinton, whom I watch with special interest as a woman waiting for one to crash through the political  oval office’s glass ceiling, and to the rest of you celebrities waiting in the woodwork to come out with your endorsements, thanks as well.

When it comes to voting for a candidate for the Democratic nominee to pit against the Republicans next year, I realise now, perhaps more than ever before in my lifetime, how important that decision will be! What I’d like to know is this: Do people really care what their favorite celebrities think? More important, why should anyone assume that, because I’m a woman, I will?! That’s an insult!

I intend to make my own choice, and I’ll bet there are a lot of other women out there who feel same way! Whether her influence will spill over into the political arena or not, Oprah did make women feel empowered to make their own decisions. For that I thank her. But that’s as far as it goes.