Oprah and Obama bring over 29,000  Largest Crowd for Obama. To Williams-Brice Stadium

By Albert N. Milliron

• COLUMBIA, South Carolina, December 9, 2007 (IMNS & Politisite.com) --

Leaving  the Comfort of her daily talk show, Oprah has stepped out and endorsed a political candidate for the first time.  She stated to the crowd that experience doesn't just come from inside the beltway of Washington. Oprah, based in Chicago, said she has seen former Senator of Illinois in action. Without mentioning Hillary Clintons Name she asked supporters to “see through” Washington insiders.

Voters in South Carolina will be the largest African-American population to vote in the early primary as South Carolina comes third flowing Iowa and New Hampshire.  The crowed cheered as Miss Winfrey  emphasized Obama’s judgment in opposing the Iraq War and tackled head on the claims of the Clinton camp that he does not have the experience necessary to be president.

She related: “Experience in the hallways of government isn’t as important to me as experience on the pathway of life.”

“The amount of time you spent in Washington means nothing unless you are accountable for the judgments you made with the time you had.”

Praising Mr. Obama, who worked as a community organizer on the  streets of South Chicago, For possessing a “tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth”, she added, “I challenge you to see through those people who try to convince you that experience with politics as usual is more valuable than wisdom won from years of serving people outside the walls of Washington DC.”

Senator Obama now leads in the  Iowa polls.

While Miss Winfrey is on a three-day campaign tour with Mr. Obama, the former First Lady hit a series of get out the vote events with daughter Chelsea and her 88-year-old mother Dorothy Rodham.  She even dispatched President Clinton to South Carolina with little press coverage.  Even Clinton doesn't seem to overshadow the Big "O"

The Republican primary appears to be turning in favor of a lower tier candidate, in the five-way race for the Republican nomination. a  Now the news has focused on Former Arkansas Mike Huckabee touting his own celebrity, Chuck Norris.  Huckabee is now leading Iowa with a handy 18 point lead over the next candidate in the field.  He has gained in national polls. Leading candidates fanned out across the country to press their case as well and his surge has now caused the gloves to come off from other candidates focusing on some of is fiscal judgment with an all Democrat legislature in Arkansas.

A Democrat strategist, familiar with the Obama team's thinking, related, "It was always going to be about December. They always wanted to peak at the right time." He said criticism of the former First Lady "was like putting a bayonet in a hornet's nest. The Clinton camp reacted as they always do - aggressively."

Polls show that Democrats view Mr. Obama as more likeable and more honest than his main rival. But despite Mrs. Clinton's polarizing reputation, Democrats also consider her to be more hard-nosed and more likely than "Obama" to see off the Republican opponent next November.

Pundits believe her support is, as the political wisdom goes, "a mile wide but an inch deep".  The writer believes that compared to other endorsements, Oprah is a different breed and carries weight other endorsers just don't have.  Oprah, in our view, will translate into  votes, especially the sought after female voters who early on were leaning Clinton.  Having Oprah on the trail is political genius to move those votes to the Obama ledger.