Angry Florida Republicans threaten Oprah with boycott over contrived Palin controversy

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
by Amy Weiss

The Florida Federation of Republican Women (FFRW) is encouraging its members to boycott the Oprah Winfrey Show and cancel their subscriptions to her "O" magazine because she does not plan to have Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin as a guest before the November election.

FFRW President Linda Ivell said, "We are deeply disappointed in Ms. Winfrey's decision to sit out the greatest political moment in the history of women since suffrage."

Ivell conveniently overlooked Geraldine Ferraro's vice-presidential nomination by the Democratic Party 24 years ago as well as Shirley Chisholm's and Hillary Clinton's historic runs.

She also failed to mention that Oprah was careful not to have any political candidates on her show during this election cycle.

As Oprah said in a statement: "At the beginning of this presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates."

By not allowing any candidate as a guest and keeping her show neutral, Oprah is acting inappropriately according to the FFRW.

Ivell also takes credit for Oprah's success, saying "Women in Florida helped build Oprah into the icon she is today." She continued, "We find it to be an abuse of her power --gained on the backs of our patronage of her advertising empire -- to use her program to so blatantly support Obama in the face of this historic moment."

The Oprah controversy erupted after an allegation on the Drudge Report that her staff was divided on having Palin appear.

"The item in today's Drudge Report is categorically untrue," Oprah's Friday statement said. "There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show... I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."

Obama appeared on Oprah's show in September 2005 and October 2006. Both appearances were before he announced his candidacy and before her endorsement.

Ivell said her organization respects Oprah's endorsement of Obama "as every American is entitled to their personal opinion and vote."

Essentially, the FFRW think Oprah's TV show impartiality, a distinct effort to avoid an "abuse of power," is biased.

The New York Times reported Sunday:

It is not clear whether Ms. Palin had even asked to go on Oprah's famous couch, but it is clear that Ms. Winfrey doesn't want her. The campaign of Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, declined to comment, but Ms. Winfrey's rejection of the Republican vice presidential nominee is playing right into the storyline being advanced by Republican operatives - that the media is biased against them.

The New York Times failed to mention that it's also clear Ms. Winfrey does not want Barack Obama, Joe Biden, or John McCain on the couch until after the election as well, but the Republican "storyline" part is right on. Palin has not spoken with the national media since her nomination and has only scheduled a taped, campaign-controlled appearance with Charlie Gibson on ABC.

Apparently, Republicans, who have already been haphazardly throwing around claims of sexism towards Palin, want her to be treated differently and allowed on Oprah's show because she is a woman. Isn't that, by definition, sexist?

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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