There’s a reason why Oprah Winfrey is the giant she is (she eats too much, only kidding). There is almost no better marketing genius than she. Oprah Winfrey has made herself a famous and wealthy women by creating the brand she has been most successful in marketing -- herself. But apparently bored with selling “Oprah,” in the last few years Ms. Winfrey has turned her talents to building the careers of others including writers, a psychologist, Dr. Phil, a diet guru, a decorator, and lately, a doctor.

For reasons all of us will never truly know, although surely it is the challenge, Ms. Winfrey has now turned her marketing genius to building the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Her spin is a sight to behold.

Senator Obama, who hails from Ms. Winfrey’s adopted home city, Chicago, is a complicated subject to market. On the up side: he is young, hopeful and offers a nearly-clean slate in his political history. On the downside: he is relatively young to be seeking the office of the presidency, clearly lacking in the kind of political experience one ought to have on their resume when running for the position of leader of the free-world, and he’s black.

Of course, and unfortunately, it is the color of Senator Obama’s skin that makes Ms. Winfrey’s job as marketer-in-chief of Senator Obama most interesting. I’m certain Senator Obama has a team of “handlers” surrounding him, but I suspect Ms. Winfrey is someone whose advice he relies on heavily. And on this issue of his race, Ms. Winfrey’s hand can definitely be seen.

Senator Obama appears to be selling himself as a racially-neutral candidate, which, by the way, is how he should be seen. On the stump he makes almost no reference to what could be an “historic first,” the possibility of his being the first black president, directly out of the playbook of Ms. Winfrey, who built her career on presenting herself as racially-neutral. But the racially-neutral marketing has cost Senator Obama with African-Americans.

Recently, Mrs. Obama addressed the issue, stirring the pot in an interview when she was asked why her husband was trailing his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the polls 46% to 37% in the African-American community.

She answered in a direct appeal, if not a baiting, to the African-American community: “First of all, I think that that’s not going to hold. I’m completely confident black America will wake up, and get [it]. But what we’re dealing with in the black community is just the natural fear of possibility.”

Following Mrs. Obama’s dust-up, Ms. Winfrey and all of her genius entered the political fray when she announced she would be stumping for Senator Obama in Iowa, South. Carolina, and New Hampshire -- the first and most important primary states. The timing of the announcement was brilliant and pure Oprah marketing genius.

Just her announcement had an effect on the polls (if not some missteps by the Clinton campaign). According to a Rasmussen Poll, in South Carolina, Senator Obama’s showing has improved significantly among black voters. He now attracts 51% of the African-American vote while Clinton picks up 27%. A month ago, the candidates were even in this constituency. There is virtually no movement among white voters in the state.

For the nearly two weeks following Ms. Winfrey’s announcement that she would be stomping for Senator Obama, the press has been obsessed with her upcoming appearances. More political genius; Oprah grabbed the headlines for Obama and said not a word. Then, finally, Oprah’s moment arrived.

And who showed up on the stage? Not Oprah Winfrey the talk show hostess, or Oprah Winfrey the media mogul. No, it was Oprah Winfrey the African-American, wearing a modern-day Afro. With a voice booming as powerful and as deep as any evangelist's in a southern Baptist Church, Oprah Winfrey preached not to the 18,500 mostly white audience, in the Iowa arena, but to the blacks across America. Her native-southern drawl, by the way, long gone, back - a Bill Clinton moment- to add to her appeal of the day.

Her speech was the usual stuff. But then it wasn’t what she said that was important. After all, she was there to support her client, so all knew what she would say. No, what counted was that she performed her service. And that was to do, if subtlety, what the racially-neutral Mr. Obama can’t do for himself, remind the black community that her candidate is black … just like she.

      
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