This double whammy could have Democrats salivating or give them heartburn.
First, this Hollywood Reporter story saying that Disney CEO Bob Iger is reconsidering running for president as a Democrat in 2020. The story notes that his current contract expires in June 2018, which means that if he were so inclined, that would give him a few months to mount a political operation before jumping into the Democratic presidential primary beginning in 2019. Beyond that, the story also reports that he has consulted with Michael Bloomberg about the transition from business executive to political executive. Bloomberg is another media mogul who made the jump into politics, serving as New York City mayor despite no previous record of public service.
Second, this interview with Oprah Winfrey on Bloomberg’s The David Rubenstein Show:
Rubenstein: 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?
Winfrey: I actually never thought, I’ve never considered the question, even a possibility. I just thought, “Oh! Oh!”
Rubenstein: Because it’s clear you don’t need government experience to be elected President of the United States…
Winfrey: That’s what I thought! I thought, “Gee, I don’t have the experience. I don’t know enough.” Now, I’m thinking, “Oh!”
Trump’s victory has billionaires and business executives from both parties rethinking about political ambitions and entering public service. However, if one or possibly both of these entertainment industry moguls who are more than capable of self-financing a run – at least to a point – enter the race with a presumably crowded Democratic field of governors and senators, they will probably suck a lot of the media oxygen out of the race early on. It should also be noted that Winfrey herself was an early and prominent backer of Barack Obama during the 2008 primary.
politicalwilderness.com 