Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 11:02am By: Rev. Jay Speights
I think the media, meaning the countless number of talking heads, who have the responsibility for providing around the clock content for Cable TV news networks have made Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright more of an issue than he should be in the 2008 Election. Now who am I, a spiritual blogger, to challenge those very wise and all knowing political and social commentators, who claim to know what you, the average American is thinking? I will tell you who I am.

Well I am Jay Speights, and I have friends that are Blacks, White, male, female, old, young, gay, Latino, Asian, rich, poor, etc. I am also a highly mobile and social being. In other words, I get around and I talk to people about their lives. And in my getting around and talking to people about their lives, I barely hear even a few of them express any real concern about Obama's connection to Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Yet, when I turn on CNN, MSNBC, and any of the other news shows or channels, all I hear is Jeremiah Wright-Jeremiah Wright- Jeremiah Wright. I am sick of it.

Let me tell you what I do hear in my getting around. I hear gas-gas-gas-Iraq-Iraq-Iraq, jobs-jobs-jobs and, MY MORTGAGE-MY-MORTGAGE-MY MORTGAGE. Eventually after all of these issues are discussed, the conversation might switch to Jeremiah Wright. So there you have it. The real issues that the everyday folk are talking about are serious and relate to their survival. Jeremiah Wright is a wedge issue. You could even call him the Willie Horton of this race. And you know what, I feel the electorate is far too smart and hurting far too bad to fall for it this year.

I urge the good people of Indiana and North Carolina when they go to the polls tomorrow, not to let a foolish wedge issue or the misinformed ramblings of all of those TV talking heads distract you from examining the real issues that concern you. Remember that they operate from a paradigm of "Fear based Politics." So get out there and vote for the candidate who offers the best prescriptive measures for you.




— — —

Rev. Jay Speights has an MA in public policy and is an interfaith minister and the main U.N. representative for The New Seminary in New York. You can learn more about his work at The New Seminary website or at http://jayspeights.blogspot.com/ . His email address is {email jayspeights@newseminary.org}jayspeights@newseminary.org{/email}. © Copyright 2008 by Jay Speights.





Permalink