If Oprah Asked, Would You Vote for Obama?

Many political strategists concur that megastars can generate an occasional burst of media attention but aren't often worth the downside that a close Hollywood association can sometimes create. And so far, there is little evidence that celebrity endorsements have done much to draw voters to political candidates. But that may be about to change. When it comes to Oprah Winfrey, queen of daytime TV, some political analysts believe her potentially escalating role in Barack Obama's presidential campaign could earn him major votes.

Marty Kaplan, a communications professor at the University of Southern California, recently told CNN he thinks Oprah's charisma has the potential to boost Obama's appeal among her viewers. Furthermore, Kaplan adds, Oprah's core audience is mostly women, and her endorsement could help Obama compete for women's votes with his chief presidential rival, Hillary Clinton. "I think what Oprah can do is potentially bring out the congregants of the church of Oprah. People buy books when she tells them to. They will watch her shows, and buy her magazines when she asks them to," Kaplan says. "So the question is, are enough of them willing to follow her lead not with a consumer good, but with a ballot cast?"

Rumor has it that the Obama campaign is ecstatic about Oprah's endorsement. Even though Obama's campaign wouldn't elaborate on what role Oprah may have, spokesperson Bill Burton tells CNN, "We are proud to have the support of such an important and dynamic individual." According to Kaplan, campaign officials for Obama in California have high hopes for the endorsement, describing Oprah as "everything" to them. Read more.  

(See also: The Oprah Effect, Oprah Endorses Obama and Can Oprah Make Obama President?)

Affirmative-Action Foes Can't Intervene in Michigan Appeal, Judge Says

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the decision of U.S. district Judge David Lawson, denying intervener status to the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative committee and two other groups that oppose affirmative action. Michigan has been the centerpoint of the affirmative-action debate since the state voted to ban affirmative action in public education, employment and contracting in November. Affirmative-action supporters, including the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, are leading the fight to challenge the resulting amendment to Michigan's constitution, arguing it violates the U.S. Constitution and federal civil-rights laws. Lawson, who is hearing the case, denied requests from the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative committee, affirmative-action foe Ward Connerly's American Civil Rights Foundation and Toward a Fair Michigan to intervene, which would allow them to present arguments and certain evidence. Read more.

(See also: The End of Affirmative Action? Who Can Stop Ward Connerly? and get up-to-date DiversityInc coverage of the campaign to end affirmative action)

N-Word Isn't Funny for Comedian Eddie Griffin

Comedian Eddie Griffin would be smart to stop using the N-word and profanity in his standup routines. Griffin, who has appeared in movies such as "Scary Movie 3" and "Norbit," was silenced at an event in Doral, a suburb of Miami, when officials turned his microphone off because of his repeated use of offensive language. The host of the event later come on stage and addressed the audience, offering: "We ... will not allow our culture to go backwards. We will pay Mr. Griffin all that we owe him, but we will not allow him to finish the show if that's the way he's going to talk." Reports The Associated Press.

Click here for more DiversityInc coverage of the campaign to ban the N-word.

Craig Changes His Mind Again

Disgraced Sen. Larry Craig surprised many by announcing that he might revoke his resignation should his case get dismissed. Now he's changed his mind again. Spokesperson Dan Whiting told reporters that Craig will likely step down from his post in Washington, D.C. "The most likely scenario, by far, is that by October there will be a new senator from Idaho," says Whiting. The news offered some relief to Republican Party officials who feared the senator would push to remain active in the U.S. Senate and ultimately loosen the party's footing with supporters. Craig recently met with Idaho Republican Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter to discuss possible replacements. Read more.

(See also: What Are LGBT Groups Saying About Sen. Craig? and Embroiled Craig Fights for Senate Seat )

Univision to Host Democrats at First Spanish-Language Presidential Debate

Democratic White House hopefuls will participate in a Spanish-language presidential debate on Sunday. Hosted by Spanish-language news station Univision, Democratic candidates will have the opportunity to address issues affecting the Latino community while strategically peeling at the GOP's grip on the growing voter demographic. Two candidates, Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, will respond in Spanish while the other six participants will answer questions in English and be provided a translator. Stay tuned for DiversityInc follow-up coverage of the debate on Monday and get more Election '08 news. Read more.

Multicultural Ad Firms Get 2010 Census Contract

The Census Bureau announced that it has awarded its $200-million 2010 census communications contract to marketing-communications agency Draftfcb New York. The move is part of the bureau's attempt to increase mail response, enhance cooperation with enumerators, improve overall accuracy and reduce the differential undercount. The agency will also work with Global Hue, IW Group, G&G and Allied Media to reach markets of color. Read more.

New Orleans Mayor Won't Run for Governor

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has decided not to join the race for Louisiana governor after all. Despite speculation, much of which was offered by members of Nagin's inner circle, Nagin told reporters hours before the deadline yesterday that he had yet to make a firm decision and was "having great fun with this." Nagin, who has less than 3 years left in his mayoral term, says he will continue to make the region's recovery needs a priority during the 2007 election season. Read more.

(See also: New Orleans Mayor Eyes Governor's Seat )

Social Security Administration Warns of Backlog

The Social Security Administration (SSA) says that the recent ruling handed down by Judge Maxine Chesney, which suspends the mailing of 141,000 letters to employers addressing a discrepancy between workers' Social Security information and agency records, would create a bureaucratic logjam. Stemming from a lawsuit filed last week by the AFL-CIO, several California labor groups and the American Civil Liberties Union assert that the new rules would lead employers to fire thousands of legal workers, including American citizens, and to discriminate against Latino employees. The latest letters, set to be mailed by the SSA, refer to the records of more than eight million workers and include a Department of Homeland Security notice advising employers about new rules to follow. If the workers in question cannot show within 90 days that they have valid Social Security numbers, employers must fire them or risk prosecution. Read more.

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