Ambassador Oprah?

As the US presidential election nears, so the game of “pick the next administration” will grow in popularity. I have been indulging in a little speculation of my own, elsewhere.

In London, the local interest centres around the question of who will be the next US ambassador to Britain. If Obama wins, the guessing-game centres around Caroline Kennedy – a prominent Obama supporter, who spoke at the Democratic convention in Denver. This would be an interesting appointment, given that the last Kennedy to serve as US ambassador to Britain – Joe Kennedy – did not exactly cover himself in glory. He was forced to resign in 1940 after injudiciously suggesting that “democracy is finished in England”.

But there is also a far more interesting name doing the rounds than Caroline Kennedy – Oprah Winfrey. This is a bona fide rumour, put about by “well-placed sources”. The argument is that Oprah is also a prominent supporter of Obama and that she might be looking for a “change of direction” – having got bored with her mega-star status.

It sounds ridiculous. It probably is ridiculous. But she would certainly cause a stir.

The World

with Gideon Rachman

About this blog About Gideon Blog guide
Gideon Rachman and his FT colleagues debate international affairs. Read more on the authors.

Gideon became chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times in July 2006. He joined the FT after a 15-year career at The Economist, which included spells as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Washington and Bangkok. He also edited The Economist’s business and Asia sections.

His particular interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation
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