Report: Oprah Winfrey "Actively Thinking" About Possible 2020 Presidential Run

Oprah Winfrey at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards

After Oprah Winfrey's appearance at the Golden Globe Awards last night where she was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, folks are framing her brilliant nine minute speech as totally presidential and the hashtag #Oprah2020 began trending.

Today, CNN is reporting that Ms. Winfrey is indeed considering a run for the White House.

The two friends, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, talked in the wake of Winfrey's extraordinary speech at the Golden Globes Sunday night, which spurred chatter about a 2020 run.

Some of Winfrey's confidants have been privately urging her to run, the sources said.

One of the sources said these conversations date back several months. The person emphasized that Winfrey has not made up her mind about running.

A representative for Winfrey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

BULLETIN: I'm told my two of @Oprah's close friends that she is "actively thinking" about running for president in 2020 https://t.co/clLEw7VS3a

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 8, 2018

You can watch the full electrifying nine-minute speech below.

I asked Stedman if @oprah would run for President. "It's up to the people. She would absolutely do it." https://t.co/rAficpB060

— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) January 8, 2018

Why this massive #Oprah2020 moment?

Because Oprah is the antithesis of Trump: A well-spoken, incredibly smart & confident black woman, who energizes people not with hatred & anger, but with hope & vision. When we hear her speak, it reminds us of who we can be as a country.

— Like, Totally Stable Genius (@dvorakoelling) January 8, 2018

Presidential candidate? Audience riveted by honest, authentic communicator who hasn’t once called herself a genius. #Oprah2020 #GoldenGlobes

— Eileen (@EileenBillinson) January 8, 2018

Oprah went from being dirt poor to becoming an ACTUAL self made billionaire, is intelligent, empathetic, hardworking & has done so much humanitarian work on top of being one of the best communicators on earth, why SHOULDN'T she run for president?! #Oprah2020

— Matty (@mattymonsterz) January 8, 2018

President Trump once praised Oprah as a viable presidential running-mate nearly 20 years ago on CNN's "Larry King Live"

Larry King: Do have a vice presidential candidate in mind?
Trump: Oprah, I love Oprah. Oprah would always be my first choice. pic.twitter.com/YlVIviwHcZ

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 8, 2018

Emmanuel Macron Projected To Win French Presidency With 65% Of Vote

President-elect Emmanuel Macron

Independent, pro-Europe centrist Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France today, besting far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen by a margin of 65.1% vs. 34.9%.

Le Pen's candidacy and positions had echoed many of Donald Trump's, who tacitly endorsed the Islamophobic and xenophobic candidate.

From The Guardian:

The US president told the Associated Press that although he was not “explicitly endorsing” the leader of the Front National, she was the “strongest on borders, and she’s the strongest on what’s been going on in France.”

“Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders, will do well in the election,” he said.

List: Presidential Succession

As folks are getting all heated up over the current turmoil going on with the Trump administration, I'm seeing people talking "impeachment" and more.

Just for interest's sake, here’s a reminder of the order of succession should President Trump (or more) leave office.

Via New York Daily News:

1. Vice President Pence

2. House Speaker Paul Ryan

3. President pro tempore of the Senate Orrin Hatch

4. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

5. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

6. Defense Secretary James Mattis

7. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

8. Acting Secretary of the Interior Kevin Haugrud (nominee Ryan Zinke has not been confirmed by the Senate)

9. Acting Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse (nominee Sonny Perdue has not been confirmed)

10. Commerce Secretary (vacant seat; nominee Wilbur Ross has not been confirmed)

11. Acting Labor Secretary Ed Hugler (nominee Andy Puzder has not been confirmed)

12. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price

13. Acting Housing and Urban Development Secretary Craig Clemmensen (nominee Ben Carson has not been confirmed)

14. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao

15. Acting Energy Secretary Grace Bochenek (nominee Rick Perry has not been confirmed)

16. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

17. Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin

18. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly

The Advocate Endorses Hillary Clinton For President

For only the second time, The Advocate has endorsed a presidential candidate, and unsurprisingly, the noted LGBT news outlet voices strong support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

From The Advocate:

Clinton is a calm, deliberative leader with decades of public service experience and an impressive command of policy, detail, and the concerns of overlapping minority communities. Whereas Trump alienates women, Muslims, immigrants, and LGBT people, Clinton’s record as a U.S. senator is marked by bipartisanship, and her campaign is marked by inclusivity.

To imagine that the election result is a foregone conclusion — that Clinton will handily and easily defeat Trump in November without serious effort on the part of an engaged electorate — is a mistake. The U.K.’s Brexit vote is an example of left-leaning activists and voters wrongly assuming that voters will exercise “common sense.”

There is no foregone conclusion. There is no obvious outcome. But there is only one capable candidate in this election, and only one candidate who is a champion of LGBT causes. That clear and necessary choice is Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton Becomes 1st Major Presidential Candidate To March In LGBT Pride Parade

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton surprised NYC Pride Parade goers today as she became the first presumptive presidential candidate of a major party to walk in an LGBT Pride Parade.

She was joined by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Rev. Al Sharpton and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Estimates put attendance of this year's NYC LGBT Pride events at around 2 million.

By the way - don't come at me with the "she used to be against gay marriage" BS. It took me years to deal with the fact that I was gay. Hillary evolved and she's there now, loud and proud. She mentions LGBT rights in every speech or appearance she makes. I believe her, and #ImWithHer.

Presumptive Republican candidate and New Yorker Donald "Better for the Gays" Trump was not in attendance.

From the Washington Blade:

Clinton joined attendees near the landmark Stonewall Inn, where in 1969 riots began that were considered the start of the modern LGBT rights movement. President Obama named a national monument in New York City on Friday in honor of the riots.

It’s not the first time Clinton has participated in a Pride event. In 2000, Clinton marched in the New York City Pride parade during her campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in New York, marking the first-time ever a first lady participated in a Pride celebration.

H I L L A R Y ! ! ! pic.twitter.com/cFtoEP7klf

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 26, 2016

'It's Hillary!' People are elated that @HillaryClinton is at #NYCPride #NYCPrideParade pic.twitter.com/lbfvuk1Ry4

— William Mathis (@MathisWilliam) June 26, 2016

A video posted by Richard Socarides (@richard.socarides) on Jun 26, 2016 at 11:42am PDT

Happy #NYCPride! pic.twitter.com/ZV75RMBiM2

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 26, 2016

Riddle Me This

Shark From JAWS Seen More Favorably Than Anyone Running For President

According to a new Washington Post/ABC News survey, the shark from JAWS has better favorability numbers (the favorable ratings minus the unfavorable ratings) than any politician running for president.

More at WaPo.

Poll: More Americans Would Support A Gay President Than An Evangelical President

According to a new poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, Americans are more comfortable with the idea of an openly gay president than an openly evangelical president.

The survey, which was taken last month, asked 1,000 adults living in the U.S. if they would be okay with having a gay or lesbian presidential candidate. 61 percent said yes, they’d be fine with it.

When asked if they would be okay with an evangelical Christian running for president, however, and only 52 percent said yes.

Boom.

Donald Trump Announces Presidential Exploratory Committee

Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to form a presidential exploratory committee.

"I am the only one who can make America truly great again," the Republican businessman and reality television star declared in a statement announcing the move.

Read more at Yahoo News.

Poll: Washington Post shows Hillary clear front runner for 2016

According to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner for president in 2016.

In a Democratic primary, the poll shows Democratic voters prefer Clinton over Vice-President Joe Biden by 61 points.

On the Republican side of things, former vice-presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan barely leads a tightly ranked group of possible GOP nominees at 20%, a 2 point lead over former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

In a hypothetical general election, the poll indicates Hillary Clinton would beat NJ Gov. Chris Christie 53% - 41%.

(source)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren - "I'm not running for President"

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

At a press conference with new Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Sen. Elizabeth Warren unequivocally shot down the prospect of her running for President in 2016 saying she fully plans to serve out her full term as Senator for Massachusetts:

"I'm not running for president and I plan to serve out my term," Warren said at a press conference with Boston Mayor-elect Marty Walsh, as quoted by the Boston Herald.

"I am not running for president," she said, as quoted by the Herald. "I am working as hard as I can to be the best possing senator I can be."

A Progressive movement favorite, Warren has been hyped as a possible challenger to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016.

Iowa: HIllary Clinton and Chris Christie in a tie in virtual 2016 presidential race

A new survey shows Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie virtually tied in Iowa as opponents in a hypothetical 2016 presidential run:

Clinton and Christie are each favored by 41 percent of the Hawkeye State’s voters.

But if Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee he would get clobbered by Christie, 49 percent to 32 percent, the Quinnipiac University poll showed.

Biden would even lose to Wisconsin’s Republican Gov. Scott Walker, 46 percent to 39 percent, in a state that Democrats took in six of the last seven presidential races.

The poll also revealed an emerging gender gap: Clinton beats Christie among women, 47 to 37 percent. But the New Jersey governor has his own 10-point edge among men, who favor him by 45 to 35 percent.

Christie has a slight 37 to 36 percent edge among independent voters. In contrast, Biden loses the independents to Christie, 52 to 21.

Sen. Rand Paul "thinking" about 2016 Presidential run

Sen. Rand Paul has confirmed rumors that he is considering running for president:

“We’ve been thinking about it,” Paul said in a phone interview. “And we will continue to think about it probably until after the 2014 elections. I haven’t made a decision, it’s a big decision you know with regard to family and the extensive travel that’s involved with it. And then also just seeing where the country is going in the next year or two.”

According to a new Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey, Paul leads the pack of potential 2016 GOP candidates in both Iowa and New Hampshire:

18 percent for Sen. Rand Paul
16 percent for Gov. Chris Christie’s 16 percent
15 percent for former Vice Presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan
14 percent for Jeb Bush
11 percent for Sen. Marco Rubio
10 percent for Sen. Ted Cruz
6 percent for Rick Santorum

(source)

Barbara Bush: "We've had enough Bushes" for President

Former First Lady Barbara Bush took the other ladies of the Bush clan by surprise it seems when she stated on The Today Show today that "We've had enough Bushes" as President.

Check out the tweets that followed.

 

(via JMG)