Posted by
Corthell on Monday, June 22, 2009 9:24:03 AM
Obama and OJ. Two national love affairs.
No, I don't think Obama is another OJ Simpson. The two men could not be more different. It's a common marketing strategy that links them. White guilt and that ache for black vindication were a huge part of OJ's celebrity campaign. That's also what got Obama elected over Hillary and then McCain.
David Axelrod as a PR maven had obviously studied the opinion polls about black celebrities. They knew that a black man who looked and sounded good on TV could roll over the opposition; the media wouldn't dare to examine his background. OJ had demonstrated it, along with Oprah and a hundred other black celebrities.
Whites feel guilty about the historical exclusion of black athletes from professional sports. That history is true, and it was a terrible thing. OJ was a great football player, but he was also hero-worshipped far beyond his talents in a vain attempt to make up for the sins of past. Like Obama, OJ was an inkblot test for the American psyche. Full story