Why Oprah Doesn't Want the Presidency

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most known brands on the planet. She is instantly recognizable, and her brand is nearly universally known as well. She has fame, fortune, and the backing to be a powerful political force, especially after her very well-received speech at the Golden Globes. What she doesn’t have is a desire to be president. Not at all — she says.

After that rousing — some say "iconic" — speech at the Golden Globes, some more or less teasingly put Oprah’s name out there to run against Donald Trump in 2020. After all, if one billionaire TV star runs and wins, why can’t another? That was the thinking then — but not for Oprah.Winfrey has made it very clear she is not the least bit interested in running for president.

Winfrey knows about the clamor for her. She understands people are only half-joking, but she’s completely serious — it's not going happen. "I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not . . . And so it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it."

That, friends, is what you call a definitive answer. She invoked her DNA. However, despite the emphatic "No," even the teaser for the article containing that quote is, "Hello, Madam President?"

It’s a tongue in cheek headline for sure, but it covers a question many very much wonder about. Who, if anyone, do the Democrats have that can counter the Trump train? At present, the answer to that question seems like "nobody, really." Trump, despite his low approval ratings, maintains the lockstep love of his base, and most of the voters who swept him into office are still hopeful they will attain the promise for which they voted.

Meanwhile, Democratic leadership is left with a stinging loss in the standoff over DACA. They appear disorganized and demoralized, leaderless — and rudderless. Sure, there are some heir apparent brands waiting in the wings, senators like Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sherrod Brown,  D-Ohio; even Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y. But it’s tough to see any of those people faring well against the Trump machine. His powerful delivery and bombastic presence decimated his former GOP competitors. It consistently frustrated even a seasoned politician like Hillary Clinton.

There’s little doubt Oprah could stand toe to toe with Donald Trump on television. She understands the medium and can match his presence on camera. But she’s made it clear she doesn’t want the job, leaving everyone to wonder, "Who then?"

Ronn Torossian is one of America’s foremost Public Relations executives as founder/CEO of 5WPR, a leading independent public relations Agency. The firm was honored as PR Firm of the Year by The American Business Awards, and has been named to the Inc. 500 List. Torossian is author of the best-selling "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results with Game-Changing Public Relations." For more of Ronn Torossian's reports, Go Here Now.