A "Historian of Charisma" Explains Why Oprah Could Be President

We live in confusing times, and academics are trying like everyone else to make sense of them. Sometimes that means tweeting your truth.

That’s what Jeremy C. Young, an assistant professor of history at Dixie State University, found himself doing on Monday evening after the chattering classes started heralding Oprah Winfrey, who had just given a rousing speech at the Golden Globe Awards, as a possible candidate for president of the United States.

It was not the first time the professor had thought of Oprah in the Oval. "I’m glad people are finally taking Oprah seriously as a presidential candidate," he wrote on Twitter. Introducing himself as a "historian of charisma," Mr. Young then admonished skeptics not to underestimate Ms. Winfrey’s chances.