I don’t rule out the possibility of Oprah Winfrey running for and winning the presidency. And yes, it would be a smart move for Democrats to recruit her, if only because it would represent an excellent chance for a win. Nor do I even rule out the possibility that Oprah could unite disparate political factions in our country and provide inspiration to dispirited people. Those aren’t bad things.

The poison pill, however, is that it would represent a disturbing trend in America: Someone with a lot of knowledge and experience for the job is dismissed for those very reasons, and we require only that our leader be a “celebrity,” which we now view as a more important qualification than experience.

Apply that thinking to other things and let’s see how it would work out. Your child is very sick and needs help. But you think doctors are condescending because of all the learning they’ve acquired, so you instead take her to an actor who plays a doctor on a favorite TV show for treatment. Or maybe a famous comedian who’s told lots of doctor jokes. Think that will work out?

This idea in America that learning, knowledge, experience, and intelligence are things to be frowned upon, and that celebrity, comic timing, or loudmouth “populist” pronouncements are much more important than actually knowing how to do something, is a very troubling sign for our country.

But perhaps it’s inevitable, given our penchant for portraying intelligence and education as “boring” and the spunky outsider with no experience as the real hero of every situation. How many TV shows or movies turn that plot around? Just about none.