
<p>The value of celebrity endorsements in political campaigns is highly debatable. ; But Vice President Harris’ campaign did place a value on them. ; On October 15, the Harris campaign paid Oprah Winfrey’s production company $1 million. ; This came weeks after Oprah held an event endorsing Harris and appeared alongside the candidate at various events.</p>



<p>In her endorsement of Harris, Winfrey said. <em>“We’re voting for values and integrity</em>.” ; She failed to mention that the “value” was a cool million dollars.</p>



<p>While it is virtually certain that Winfrey would favor Harris, the talk show celebrity rarely makes political endorsements. ; She made an exception for Barack Obama in 2008. ; So, what motivated her this time?</p>



<p>The question remains whether she would have done so in 2024 without the added incentive of $1 million. It is not as though Winfrey needed the money since she is one of the richest women in the world. If she was so committed to Harris, Winfrey could have donated a million smackaroos to the campaign.</p>



<p>It has also been reported that Alex Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy podcast, got a “six figure” stipend in conjunction with Harris&#8217; appearance. Was the podcast interview nothing more than a paid commercial?</p>



<p>Whether Winfrey and Cooper would have endorsed Harris without the payment, the cash on the barrelhead transaction diminishes the credibility and luster of the endorsements. ; They become a bit of an embarrassment when one considers that the highly touted endorsement events did not improve Harris’ standing in the poll. ; They did not move the needle. ; And obviously, they had no positive impact on the outcome of the election. ; It was money down the drain.</p>



<p>Such expenditures may partly explain another embarrassment. ; It seems that after raising more than $1 billion for a 90 day run, the Harris campaign ran out of money before Election Day and had to borrow millions of dollars to finish out the campaign.</p>



<p>Neither the endorsers nor the endorsee comes out looking good on this one.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Oprah and other celeb endorsements paid for by Harris. WHAT?
