Dubai-In Move To Change Public Opinion-Invites Opra Winfrey Show

[kpete]

Published: 03/13/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

Oprah Winfrey. AP

Move to change US public opinion
Staff Report

Dubai: A group of US businessmen in the UAE said they will invite The Oprah Winfrey Show and other talk shows to the Gulf to change American public opinion which helped block Dubai's takeover of six US ports.

The American Business Group of Abu Dhabi, which has more than 500 members including Boeing Co. and ExxonMobil Corp., wants Winfrey to host a show from the UAE as it seeks to convince Americans that the country is not a threat to national security, Kevin Massengill, a board member of the group, said yesterday.

"We want to reach out to the average guy in the United States and explain why the UAE is important," said the former adviser to the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, who is part of a delegation that the group plans to send to Washington this month.

http://www.gulf-news.com/business/Shipping/10025178.html

[physioex]

1. Maybe Karen Hughes would be happy to serve as a consultant....

She has had "great success" in improving the US image abroad...

[anitar1]

8. Maybe Oprah can do a Makeover on Karen. n/t

[physioex]

9. Now why didn't I think of that.....

;)

[MADem]

18. Would you like the black hijab, Karen, or the black hijab??? n/t

[crispini]

2. Bwahahahahahaha!

:eyes: You can't make this shit up.....

[Bozita]

3. Sounds like Rove has a part-time job

[elvisbear]

4. Name dropping Boeing and ExxonMobil?

This is not a good way to "reach out to the average guy" in the US. :eyes:

[KingFlorez]

5. Why do they think Oprah would want to do this?

It doesn't even fit with her show.

[Divernan]

6. She's vain enough to agree to this infomercial - she'll feel important!

I think she's well intentioned, but for all the vaunted book recommendations, she's still too easily manipulated when establishment whites flatter her.

[tjdee]

7. Disagree--Bush wanted to pimp her in Afghanistan, and she said NO.

Oprah's not stupid, and I don't think she appreciates being used by anyone, much less "establishment whites". I don't know why people talk this way about Oprah. Is this all over the Arnold incident?

[Dem2theMax]

10. I'm with you on this one.

I really doubt she would agree to do such a show.

As for the 'Oprah attitude' on DU, I'm really beginning to think people are jealous of her.
Some posters go way overboard on the Oprah hate. I swear I see green eyes peering out from their posts.

[Divernan]

13. That bit where she gave new cars to poor people?

I believe in more anonymous charity that has a lasting positive impact, and not 1 shot actions taken with lots of splashy PR. And those people would have been a lot better off with dependable used cars and the balance of the money to pay down their debt, finance some work-related training/ed, or actually getting them jobs. It's the difference between giving someone a bucket of fish or a fishing boat.

I've never watched her show - just seen all the articles about her, and noticed that she seems to have a cult following. Kudos to her for being extremely successful. Someone that wealthy can easily afford to do a lot more than give away cars - does she have a charitable foundation working on major social problems? Something like Teresa Heinz and the Heinz family funded foundations do? I think giving away cars with the TV cameras rolling is about as sincere as Ed McMahon's prize patrol. And it's one step above standing in Times Square and throwing stacks of dollar bills in the air.

[tjdee]

14. Yes she does have a charitable foundation, and what's more...

She has built schools in Africa, she sends a few kids to Morehouse College for free every year, etc. etc. etc. The only publicized works she does are those she does in connection with her show. Privately, she has done things as well.

The car is just one of the charitable things she has done, so I'm kind of surprised you'd make that much of one day.

And speaking as someone who has a shitty car, I would be extremely thankful to get a brand new, not driven/ruined by someone else, not a billion miles on it car. The recipients of the car can sell the car if they'd like to do the things you suggested.

[Divernan]

16. I only know what her PR puts out - I don't follow it too closely.

I'm glad to hear that she's doing all those other things. If she would publicly condemn the Iraq war and Bush, she'd do a lot of good and help push him and his blood-soaked advisors out of power.

[Dem2theMax]

17. She also just got done building 65 new houses in New Orleans.

Made sure they were furnished too. Sure, she got a show out of it. But 65 families have homes again.
She also made a BIG point of saying "look at what ONE person can do. Now just think what a GOVERNMENT could do."
She's digging at *. I don't think she wants to draw a line in the sand. She is not a political person and she shouldn't have to be if she doesn't want to go that route. It's up to her. Not us.

I'd love to see her take a stand. But like I said, it's up to her. I'm not going to condemn the woman. I'll always applaud her for all the good she is doing in this world.

[marions ghost]

12. Oprah's intelligent and so is

her audience generally. She doesn't need it. I doubt she'd risk all the flak she'd get for trying to sell the Dubai ports deal. It's too late for the Oprah seal of approval anyway. Don't they GET it? The horse has left the barn.

[0007]

11. Yeah, we'll wind up getting this shoved down our throat.

Now they gonna make ya feel stupid for being so dumb to not let the Arabs run our ports.

[Norquist Nemesis]

15. GRRRR!!! It's NOT just SIX PORTS!

:banghead:

Well, I wouldn't count on Oprah to be against it. I can easily see her doing it and thinking that it's helping two different cultures to come together with warm and fuzzies. She won't touch the question of whether a foreign government should have control/ownership in the operation of key assets.

Sadly, it's a distraction IMO. Because I could not care less whether the country is a culture of pygmies or something else. It has to do with a foreign government access/ownership of our key assets.