Don't get too excited about the possibility of "President Oprah"

Sure, why not?
 By 
Marcus Gilmer
 on 
Don't get too excited about the possibility of "President Oprah"
President Oprah does have a nice ring to it, though Credit: Moeletsi Mabe/REX/Shutterstock

So, there have been a few headlines going around on Wednesday claiming Oprah Winfrey is "rethinking" entering the race for president at some point in the future. Sorry, Oprah fans, but it's now the kind of headline that can be filed under "Too Good To Be True."

The alleged big moment happened during Oprah's interview with Bloomberg's David Rubenstein, when Rubenstein brought up the possibility of an Oprah White House run.

In a clip being circulated to promote the episode, Rubenstein asks Oprah, “Have you ever thought that, given the popularity you have—we haven’t broken the glass ceiling yet for women—that you could actually run for president and actually be elected?”

Oprah says she'd never given it a thought, that she didn't even consider it a possibility, leading Rubenstein to interject—in a not-so-subtle jab at President Trump—"it’s clear you don’t need government experience to be elected president of the United States.”

And that's when Oprah seems to have opened the door to the idea, responding: “That’s what I thought. I thought, ‘Oh, gee, I don’t have the experience, I don’t know enough.' And now I’m thinking, 'Oh.'”

But, everyone? Slow your roll.

First of all, if you watch the full episode, you'll notice: In the moments after the above clip concludes, the conversation continues with Rubenstein making a comment about her impending presidential campaign, to which Oprah responds: "No that won’t be happening."

It's a sly bit of editing to get people talking and tune in to the show, something I'm sure Oprah could appreciate.

Besides, Oprah doesn't need to run for president—going through a harsh, protracted battle (especially against Trump) that can't possibly leave her current legacy completely untarnished? Forget it.

Oprah's one of a few American celebrities who are largely beloved, don't face the same scrutiny of most of their peers, and can be recognized by a single name (think: Beyonce or Leo or Sinbad). She almost transcends the presidency.

Still, it definitely has people talking.

So, sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but: President Oprah is not something that will be happening, no matter how much we want it to.

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Marcus Gilmer

Marcus Gilmer is Mashable's Assistant Real-Times News Editor on the West Coast, reporting on breaking news from his location in San Francisco. An Alabama native, Marcus earned his BA from Birmingham-Southern College and his MFA in Communications from the University of New Orleans. Marcus has previously worked for Chicagoist, The A.V. Club, the Chicago Sun-Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

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