By Mike Dorning
LITTLETON, N.H.—Barack Obama said Monday that he expects Oprah Winfrey’s campaign appearances on his behalf to inspire more voters to take a look at his campaign and add a bit of “fun” to campaign events.
But he said he does not expect her endorsement to translate into automatic support in the same way her “book club” recommendations generate sales for authors.
“People are going to make the decision (on how to vote) not based on who’s endorsing,” Obama told reporters after a rally in rural Littleton, N.H. “Ultimately I’m going to have to make the sale.”
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Still, the celebrity talk show host’s draw is clear to the campaign. At the rally this morning, a local veteran who gave introductory remarks for the senator boasted that Oprah would be coming to the state with Obama.
” It’s fun,” Obama told reporters. “Campaigns are not just about issues and policy but it’s also about bringing people together and this creates excitement and an event.”
Hopefully, we can attract some people who might not otherwise be interested in politics, who aren’t regular viewers of C-SPAN,” he continued. “But on the other hand once they’re there I’m able to talk to them about critical issues like the health care crisis and home foreclosures, and things that affect their lives on a day-to-day basis.”
Asked how he thought Oprah compared to former president Bill Clinton as a campaign surrogate, he demurred.
“Bill Clinton is a great surrogate for Hillary as well. So if he wanted to endorse me, I’d take it,” he chuckled. “I don’t think he will.”
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)