IS OPRAH PAYING PRICE FOR BACKING OBAMA?

Costas Panagopoulos, an assistant professor of political science at New York's Fordham University, suggests that Oprah Winfrey's popularity has diminished in recent months due to her public support for Barack Obama.


Writing at Politico.com, he calls into evidence an August 2007 CBS poll that found her favorable rating had dropped from 74% to 61%.

Also, 10 days after the media firestorm over Obama's tie to Rev. Jeremiah Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ, which Oprah has attended, the TV host's favorable rating had dropped further to 55% and her unfavorable ratings for the first time climbed to 1 in 3.

A December ABC/Washington Post poll of Democrats found 8% were persuaded by Winfrey's Obama endorsement, 82% said it wouldn't matter either way and 10% said her recommendation had turned them off Obama.

Panagopoulos also points to an AOL TV popularity survey of 1.35 million Americans that found 46% said the daytime TV host who "made their day" was Ellen DeGeneres while only 19% chose Winfrey. Forty-seven percent said they'd like to have dinner with Ellen, while only 14% chose Oprah.

Panagopoulos uses the timing of these polls to conclude that celebrity endorsements run the real risk of costing the celebrity more than they benefit the endorsee," notes the Times.