President Oprah? Never Occurred To Her But Now She's 'Thinking'

Are you ready for President Oprah? While the former daytime TV host and media mogul had never seriously considered the possibility before, she suggested in an interview with Bloomberg that she thinks it's an open possibility now.

David Rubenstein asked Oprah — that's Oprah Winfrey if you're not one of her billion fans — "Have you thought that given the popularity you have — we haven't broken the glass ceiling yet for women — that you could actually run for president and actually be elected?"

Without directly answering the question, she clearly suggested to Rubenstein, of "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations," that the idea was worth considering. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"I never considered the question even a possibility," she said. "I thought, oh gee, I don't have the experience, I don't know enough. And now I'm thinking, oh. Oh."

Left unsaid, but undeniably relevant, is the recent election of President Trump, who had no prior government experience before securing the Republican Party nomination and winning in the 2016 race against long-time political insider Hillary Clinton. It seems his political success could inspire other similarly situated celebrities to attempt the same feat.

Despite not having held a government job before, Winfrey has displayed political force. She endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, said he considered appointing Winfrey to Obama's Senate seat after the 2008 election.

So like Trump, her political influence was felt long before any serious prospect of a run for office.

The only thing left to consider is whether potential Vice President Ellen Degeneres and prospective Surgeon General Dr. Oz would be willing to leave their wildly successful TV shows to join Winfrey for a life of public service.

Watch a clip of the interview below:

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Photo credit: YouTube Screenshot/Bloomberg