As I watch more and more coverage from media outlets of interviews with "average Americans" giving "their opinions" I become less believing of the common political and media mantra of the intelligence of the average American. While there are many Americans who are politically, financially, and socially savvy, there is also a large number who are not. My question is, "Are all opinions of equal value?"

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The Crypt

Watch out, Senate techies, the Oprah army is about to flood your servers.

On Monday, Oprah is expected to urge her viewers to contact their senators to ask them to support the Combating Child Exploitation Bill.

Oprah has about eight million viewers a day, and an e-mail went around this morning warning Senate offices to be ready.

"We have learned that Oprah Winfrey will be urging viewers to contact their Senators to support S.1738, the Combating Child Exploitation bill, on her Monday, September 15 show. She will also be providing a link to www.senate.gov on her Web site www.oprah.com," according to an email from the Senate system administrator's office. "We anticipate larger than normal volumes of traffic on senate.gov and increases in e-mail and Web form mail to Member offices as a result of this effort."

UPDATE: We're happy to report that Oprah's folks read The Crypt. Or perhaps they just have a Google alert set up for her. Harpo Productions, Oprah's broadcast company, contacted The Crypt and sent along a full statement on the child exploitation bill.

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A lot of people were wondering why Oprah left Rev. Wright's Trinity United Church in Chicago, which she attended for two years from 1984-86, and sporadically after that into the early 90's. A piece in the newest Newsweek has some answers.  Click below for full article.

According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host. "Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," said one longtime friend, who requested anonymity when discussing Winfrey's personal sentiments. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church."

But Winfrey also had spiritual reasons for the parting. In conversations at the time with a former business associate, who also asked for anonymity, Winfrey cited her fatigue with organized religion and a desire to be involved with a more inclusive ministry...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/135392

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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/25/oprah-who-clinton-brings-in-ellen/

"Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres made a surprise appearance by video uplink at a Hillary Clinton rally on Monday evening, energizing the young audience and tossing Clinton a few inside-the-beltway questions she might get on a Sunday morning talk show."

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An old pal just sent me this image of today's Obama event [editor's note, by susanhu] at UCLA in Los Angeles the Meadowlands in New Jersey.  Politico's Ben Smith adds:

You won't see this in most of the news photography, because photographers are packed into press risers, opposite whatever backdrop -- a crowd, a flag -- the campaign prefers.

But while Obama has held some very large rallies in some very small cities -- 14,000 in Boise! -- there have also been quite a few empty seats at some of the bigger venues.

Now Smith has another photo up that shows even more empty seats:

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