Oprah Winfrey - Did Her Involvement Change the Course of the 2008 Election?

Though presidential candidate Barack Obama started out with some name recognition and decent-sized crowds at his early campaign events, it wasn't until Oprah announced that she'd appear with him at a handful of rallies that he achieved celebrity status. How much did Oprah help him break away from the other Democratic candidates and polish his image as the agent of change? We'll never know for sure. But those who scoffed at the idea of Oprah marketing a presidential candidate as effectively as a book club selection may have some humble pie to eat before the new year and President-elect Obama's inauguration.