Oprah Winfrey’s speech will be remembered as one of the finest of this century, and perhaps in history.

Chicago — With poetic resonance, allusions to the Black Baptist tradition, and her signature acerbic wit, she powerfully championed America, democracy, and the Democratic Party, standing resolutely against authoritarianism. Her delivery, honed by fifty years of broadcasting, was pop-culture pitch perfect.

In her address, Oprah Winfrey emphasized that the upcoming presidential election is not just a choice between candidates but a choice between fundamental values: “loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual,” “optimism over cynicism,” and “inclusion over retribution.”

Some of her most memorable lines included:

• “Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”
• “Let us choose common sense over nonsense.”
• “America is an ongoing project that requires commitment… and every once in a while, it requires standing up to life’s bullies.”
• “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too.”
• “There are people… who’d have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe, that there’s a right way to worship and a wrong way to love. People who seek first to divide and then to conquer. But here’s the thing: when we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us.”
• “Soon, and very soon, we’re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic, energetic immigrants… how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States. That is the best of America.”
• “And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won’t go back. We won’t be sent back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back. We’re not going back.”

Oprah’s speech now joins the ranks of history’s most stirring addresses, all focused on the fight against evil, such as:

• “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. (1963)
• “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” by Winston Churchill (1940)
• “Quit India” by Mahatma Gandhi (1942)
• “Speech at the Rivonia Trial” by Nelson Mandela (1964)
• “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall” by Ronald Reagan (1987)

Oprah quoted Rep. John Lewis, “No matter what ship we came over on, we’re all on the same boat now!” Oprah attempts to be neutral as a broadcaster. She is a self-declared “Independent.” Her sexuality is a mystery, although both she and her half-century friend Gayle King are LGBTQ+ friendly. And she, like J.B. Pritzker, is a billionaire (Other billionaires who support liberal causes are Michael Bloomberg, Tom Steyer, Donald Sussman, James and Marilyn Simons)

“We’re Not Going Back”: Oprah’s Stirring Address on Our Future (Aug. 22, 2024)

#Oprah2024, #Democracy, #DefendTheConstitution, #InclusionOverRetribution, #StandTogether, #PoliticalSpeeches, #AmericanValues

Tags: Oprah Winfrey, 2024 Election, Democracy, Authoritarianism, U.S. Constitution, Black Baptist Tradition, Political Speech, American Values

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