Dec. 10, 2007: Oprah lauds Obama for opposing war

MANCHESTER – Oprah Winfrey, the first lady of television, made her first visit to Manchester and her first foray into politics on behalf of Barack Obama one of near rapture for thousands of fans last night.

After a rock star's welcome, Winfrey settled into her new role and delivered several veiled shots at Democrat Hillary Clinton, one of Obama's main rivals, for her vote to authorize war in Iraq.

"Long before it was popular, he was standing with clarity and conviction against the war in Iraq," she said of Obama.

The double shot of pop culture and politics at the Verizon Wireless Arena combined to produce one of the largest campaign events in the history of the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. The Obama campaign said the crowd was 8,500 strong. The star power was clearly a draw; the crowd huddled outside in the cold for more than an hour to get into the arena.

"We'll see what he's all about," said Cornelius Wilson, an undecided independent voter from Derry. "Having Oprah is kind of the icing on the cake."

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Pat Fowler, a registered Democrat from Derry, said that as a 50-something woman she respects Oprah. But she said the appearance might not influence her vote.

"She's kind of the cultural icon of our time," Fowler said.

Obama delighted in Winfrey's help, support that political observers say could help him with women and minority voters. He promised to fight for every vote through the primary on Jan. 8.

"I don't want to offer change as a slogan," he said. "I want to offer change we can believe in."

Obama spoke of overcoming partisan conflicts to achieve energy independence, health care for all, better schools and a safer America. He promised to lead by principle, not by poll, and by conviction instead of political calculation.

"If we're serious about winning this election then we can't live in fear of losing it," Obama said.

Dressed in a gray pantsuit, Winfrey said Obama would lead with compassion and conviction. She said his heritage as a black man and his longtime community service would break the cycle of politics as usual.

"He understands that he can bring us all together as one United States of America," Winfrey said. "Not the red states and the blue states and the left and the right, but the United States of America."

In a shot at Obama's opponents, who say the one-term senator lacks seasoning, Winfrey said experience in the halls of Washington does not compare to experience in life. She cited Obama's work in his history of community service.

Winfrey further urged people to get involved and to seize the moment. She noted her own voting record and past political aversion.

"Apathy is believing that disappointment is normal," she said. "What Barack Obama has taught me is that disappointment doesn't have to be normal."

Through her book club, Oprah has told millions of Americans who to read. Now she's telling people who to vote for, or at least whom to consider. She said her political coming-out party was inspired by the need for leadership.

"For the first time in my life I stepped out of my box, stepped out of that TV box and supported a candidate for president," she said.

The media mogul campaigned for Obama in Iowa and South Carolina earlier in the day.

Her campaigning could help Obama at a critical junction. A new poll yesterday showed the New Hampshire race tightening. The MSNBC/Mason-Dixon poll indicated a statistical tie between Clinton and Obama, with John Edwards trailing in third.