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Let’s focus on Winfrey’s message

Oprah Winfrey must have been pleased at the talk after her speech at the Golden Globes awards ceremony the other night. Who wouldn’t be flattered at widespread suggestions she ought to run for president?

But if Winfrey is smart — and she is — she will wonder whether the message she tried to convey will get lost in all the political chatter. She should worry.

Winfrey never mentioned running for office. Though she refuses to rule out the idea, her friends say that, as of Tuesday, at least, she had no intention of seeking the presidency.

What she was trying to do in her speech was remind people of the need to stamp out sexual harassment, even assault, by those in power in politics, her industry and elsewhere.

Much of the awards ceremony had that focus. Women wore black. The normally-red carpet was black. The idea, as Winfrey put it with powerful, yet beautiful eloquence, was to emphasize that the days of powerful people preying on the powerless are over.

But are they? Or will a few entertainers be stripped of their awards, a few politicians be run out of office, and the problem be forgotten? Does the “Me Too” movement represent change or just a passing fad?

Let us hope and pray real, deep reform is in the offing — and those pursuing it, as well as the public in general, are not distracted by other things, including politics. Winfrey said a new day is on the horizon. Good for her for focusing on that.

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