US politics is now a game of celebrity squares

Oprah Winfrey on stage with Reese Witherspoon at the Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AP

Donald Trump claimed yesterday he would beat Oprah Winfrey if she ran against him in the 2020 US presidential race.

If he had said this only three years ago people would have thought he was predicting higher TV ratings for The Apprentice over the Oprah Winfrey Show.

But in today’s celebrity-­obsessed America, one speech about the mistreatment of women in Hollywood has triggered a mountain of speculation over whether another TV star can win the key to the Oval Office — as if it were another Oscar or Emmy award or the host’s desk on a variety show set.

Oprah made no mention of ­aspiring to be the world’s most powerful person when she ­accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills on Monday. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask the world’s most powerful person whether he has anything to worry about.

“I’ll beat Oprah. I like Oprah,” Trump said, noting that he had ­appeared on her long-running program. “I know her very well ... I don’t think she’s going to run.”

The fact that Democrats and so many others have lauded Oprah for president on the basis of one non-controversial, feel-good speech shows how adrift American politics has become.

Hardly anywhere amid the blanket coverage in the US has it been discussed what sort of qualifications the TV star might have for such a role or what policies she might support.

Those very same Democrats who attacked Trump on the ground that he was poorly qualified to become US President have suddenly decided that Oprah would be perfect fit for the White House.

These same people point to Trump’s record low approval ratings and say “I told you so”. They say that because Trump was the first president to be elected without a background in politics or the military, he was uniquely unqualified to be commander-in-chief.

Yet Oprah, who is equally unqualified, would be just fine, they say.

This mini-debate — and it may prove to be extremely brief if ­Winfrey sticks by her previous claims that she has no interest in running for public office — shows how quickly the age of celebrity is transforming what Americans expect in their presidents.

Americans have always been fascinated with celebrity and the presidency, but never to this ­extent.

In the 1950s they were attracted to the World War II celebrity of General Dwight Eisenhower and in the 60s they cultivated the celebrity image of a Camelot run by John F. Kennedy and wife Jackie.

In the 80s they embraced former Hollywood actor Ronald ­Reagan, who co-starred with a chimpanzee in Bedtime for Bonzo in 1951.

But at least Reagan had been governor of California for two terms before running for president, Kennedy had been a senator and congressman and Eisenhower had helped America to win a world war.

The Trump-Oprah debate shows that Americans are increasingly attracted to style over substance and celebrity over policy in their choice of president.

In this low-rent climate, even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to be flirting with the idea of running for president in 2020.

So what sort of president would Oprah be?

Based on her past comments, she would be a very mainstream Democrat, the type Trump ­detests.

She supports tougher gun control laws, more generous welfare provisions, gay rights and a less hardline immigration policy.

After the 9/11 terror attacks in the US she tackled the topic of US military intervention in the Middle East, framing her shows in a manner that was sceptical of American intervention.

In 2008 she strongly and publicly endorsed Democrat Barack Obama, and in 2016 she backed Hillary Clinton to beat Trump.

Oprah’s best friend claimed yesterday that while the star probably wouldn’t run for president she was “intrigued” by the idea.

So if she is intrigued and the public are equally curious, then why not? After all, its only the most important job in the world. Almost as good as an Oscar.