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MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

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Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
PoliticsU.S. Politics

Oprah Has Advice for the 2020 Presidential Candidates

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Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
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By
Natasha Bach
Natasha Bach
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September 23, 2019, 12:12 PM ET
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Oprah may have passed on throwing her name in the ring for President in 2020, but that doesn’t mean she’s staying out of the race entirely.

Appearing on CBS “This Morning” Monday, Oprah spoke to the hosts about her advice for those candidates who did decide to take the plunge and run. 

It might come as no surprise that Oprah advised against the negativity and talking down other candidates. Instead, she suggested that candidates should focus their efforts on explaining what they would do if elected. 

Calling it the “biggest mistake” a candidate could make and noting that it “happened in the previous election,” Oprah said that there’s a “natural law that says, what you give your attention to, expands.” In other words, “you should not talk about the other guy, because you only empower your opponents when you talk about them.” She added that “you should talk about you are going to do” and discuss what the other guy’s doing “as little as possible.”

Oprah also expressed relief that she chose not to get involved in the 2020 race herself.

“I never seriously considered it,” she said. She added that “it’s the kind of thing I think you feel in your gut, your soul, your being. I think you know if that is the thing you’re supposed to do in your life.” 

Oprah not only didn’t feel it, she also didn’t even want to participate as a moderator in the debates: “I didn’t want any of that. When I’m watching the debates, I’m so happy I’m not in any of it.”

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