Obama and Rev. Wright

Much has been made recently in the media regarding Barack Obama’s ex-pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Wright has sparked controversy with his off-the-wall rhetoric, which includes praise for Louis Farrakhan, curses against the United States, and a suggestion that the U.S. government invented the AIDS virus to exterminate African-Americans. Members of the media have been tripping over themselves talking about how badly Wright will affect Obama’s candidacy for president. But do the voters themselves really care? A report in the New York Times today suggests that Obama will actually not be hurt very much by his past relationship with Wright. While almost all people asked by the Times expressed bewilderment and/or anger over Wright’s wild accusations and assertions, none said that they will no longer vote for Obama because of his connection to the retired pastor. A few in Indianapolis voiced concern that voters in more rural areas of Indiana might use the situation as “an excuse not to vote for” a black candidate, but not one of the people interviewed for the report said their personal vote would be at all affected. If these voters are representative of the larger voting population, it looks like members of the media might have—as usual—made a big issue out of a minor one in order to have something interesting to talk about on television and radio.