Oprah DNC Speech More Influential Than Michelle Obama: Republican Pollster

Republican pollster Frank Luntz was blown away by Oprah Winfrey’s speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), calling her the most influential speaker of the week.
Winfrey made a surprise appearance at the DNC on Wednesday night and gave a speech targeting the GOP presidential ticket of former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance while encouraging independents to cast their ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris. Winfrey, a known skilled orator, has been floated as a potential presidential contender, and her speech energized the DNC crowd.
Following Winfrey’s speech, Luntz said that he was “wrong” in thinking former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech on Tuesday would resonate most with voters.
“Instead it will be Oprah,” Luntz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “She has really touched the values nerve.”
Winfrey’s presence at the DNC went largely under wraps until a few hours before her speech. She’d never spoken at a national convention and made her first presidential endorsement in 2007, of former President Barack Obama. While Winfrey said she was supporting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, she didn’t campaign with her.
In her speech on Wednesday, Winfrey highlighted that she’s a registered independent voter and said she votes based on her values. She told a story of America’s history from a segregated nation to one in which a Black woman, who’s the daughter of an Indian immigrant, could become president of the United States. However, she added, “freedom isn’t free” and Americans need to stay committed to maintaining democracy. At times, she said, that requires “standing up to life’s bullies.”
“I’m telling you the truth, that values and character matter most of all in leadership and in life, and more than anything, you know, this is true, that decency, and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” Winfrey said. “Common sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can give us decency and respect.”
Winfrey also criticized Vance’s comment about “childless” cat ladies and called out Trump for telling Christians that if they vote for him in November, they won’t have to ever vote again.
On Wednesday, Gayle King, Winfrey’s close friend, said on CBS that Winfrey didn’t intend to “be involved” and that she “tries to stay out of politics. But, King added that Winfrey “has some things to say tonight.”
Before praising her speech, Luntz credited Winfrey for helping Obama win the presidency and questioned if she could do the same for Harris.
The night before, Luntz said Michelle Obama’s speech was the loudest he’d heard the crowd, and that Barack had a “hard act to follow” after his wife’s “rousing” speech.
Harris seizing the top of the Democratic ticket has energized the Democrat base and she’s managed to bring disaffected Democrats back into the fold. It’s boosting her in the polls, which show Harris either erasing or closing the gap on Trump in several states. However, some pollsters are warning that Harris’ lead might not be as big as it seems and even Michelle Obama warned on Tuesday night that Democrats can’t get complacent with Harris’ surge. The former first lady encouraged Democrats to continue to reach out to voters, knock on doors and stay vigilant until Election Day.