Oprah's Touch

Claremont Port Side - Claremont,CA,USA - Bill O’Reilly has called Oprah Winfrey “the most powerful woman in the world,” but it is safe to say that her endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama won’t be the deciding factor in determining his vote this November.  For many Americans and potential campaign donors, however, political endorsements can influence the flow of votes and money – the two most important parts of an election (with, perhaps, the first being more important).

Craig Garthwaite and Timothy Moore of the University of Maryland published a study last month investigating the impact of Winfrey’s endorsement on voter support for Obama. They measured her influence by calculating the number of subscriptions to O, The Oprah Magazine along with Oprah’s Book Club sales. They estimated that Winfrey’s support amassed approximately one million additional votes for Obama during the Democratic Primary season.  These one million votes represent about five percent of Obama’s total votes.