This article originally appeared on the Valentine’s Day issue of the Clarion.

It seems that in recent years more and more celebrities have commented about or have been rumored to be running for president in 2020. Even now, we have a celebrity as our president. There is a strange fascination with celebrities in the White House. Most have been found to be false but these jokes and rumors have blown up and gone viral almost every time.

One of the most recent “potential presidents” is Oprah Winfrey. Yet this begs many questions about her, the number of celebrities rumored to run, and why this trend seems to be gaining momentum.

Now more than ever, people are more willing to consider a non-politician for the role of president. This could be because people feel they can’t trust politicians. They have been faced over and over with scandal after scandal, lie after lie, and the American people are tired of it. Frankly, so am I. The more familiar faces of politicians provide a subconscious level of comfort. However, I doubt the current source of presidential candidates is the best option. Most of the celebrities who have come up are not ideal candidates, such as people like Kanye West, Katy Perry and Will Smith. None of these people have any sort of experience in leadership. At least Trump and Oprah have leadership experience. This cannot be said for any of the other supposed 2020 presidential candidates.

Most celebrities do not have the image and respect that politicians thrive on. Looking to celebrities to guide this country is not the way to go. However, I understand why people are turning to celebrities. Celebrities provide a familiar face. They give comfort of knowing the person in the White House. And while everyone knows about celebrities, not everyone is familiar with any of the politicians currently in office. This allows celebrities to take advantage of the subconscious choice of the voters. People may not realize why they love the idea of Oprah in the White House; her followers already love her and her familiarity provides comfort for those people.

No one actually knows her political views. She endorsed Obama, but this cost her a significant number of viewers and her ratings suffered greatly. People who follow her appreciate her neutrality. She thrives on the spiritual image that she uses in all of her shows. This would be a difficult image to maintain when you are faced with the threats against the United States almost daily.

Oprah also has a currently thriving business. Donald Trump had to give up a company in a comparatively simple market. He simply had to buy, sell, or build property. Oprah, on the other hand, would have to give up control of a business that relied on her creativity and reputation. Her business would fail completely if the American public held Oprah to the same standards that they held Trump to in 2016.

I do not think Oprah would be a better president than Trump. She would definitely be more “presidential.” However, I doubt she has the type of personality that would allow her to command a military. She is too much of a pacifist to be president. How would she react to a war or attack on the United States? Whether you agree with Trump or not you have to admit he has the type of personality that allows him to protect the people of the United States in terms of military action. Anyone who denies this is lying or is misinformed. Oprah and the other celebrities, alternatively, seem to lack that sort of determination and perspective. I would be worried if any of these celebrities were faced with any major issue that could affect the American people. I could never trust my safety to someone who constantly preaches forgiveness and spiritual healing. Forgiveness and spiritual healing are never respectable means of running a country and certainly can’t win wars. The last thing this country needs is a president willing to turn the other cheek. Other countries are already taking advantage of the United States. Why should we help them by putting someone in office that could tolerate this abuse?