Flickr: Creative Commons by Barla Cruni

Oh, no. Jesse Jackson's speaking in public about Obama. In a foreign country. The much-loathed France, no less. In the birthplace of criminally expensive water Evian (you know the joke, Naive spelled backwards), Jesse's telling folks that under an Obama administration things will be different, The New York Post's Amir Taheri reports.  Oh, no.  Let me be blunt, Reverend, you are the personification of polarization: the polestar, the paragon.  With 20 days to go before history is to be made, on the eve of the final debate, what in God's name possessed you to spout anything in "support" of Barack Obama. 

In speaking before the World Policy Forum, the Reverend suggested that in an Obama administration, fundamental changes will happen and anent the Middle East, "decades of putting Israel's interest first" would come to an abrupt halt.  Oh, it gets better.  Taheri reports that Jackson believes that although "Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades" remain strong, they would certainly lose a significant degree of clout and influence in an Obama adminsitartion. Stop.  Cease and desist.  From the man who wanted to perform a makeshift orchiectomy on Barack after having spoken too much about black paternal irresponsibility, now this.  If, most respectfully, Reverend Jackson, you truly want to do what is palmary for Obama, despite your disclaimers that you're not a member of the campaign or a spokesman and that Barack is "family," his son and daughter both close to Barack and Michelle, stay home and button up.  With all due respect.

Again, with twenty days left and commentators abuzz and McCain supporters still reeling over comments from John Lewis juxtaposing McCain and George Wallace (what?!), this in no wise helps anyone.  And, while we're at it, calling Reverend Al Sharpton, with all due respect, lay low.  This is nothing racist in intent.  Both sides know that the most polarizing factions should take a vaction until November 5th.  That goes for evangelical whackos (Exhibit A: Reverend [What's with these reverends?] James Dobson, Tony Perkins et al.), gay marriage advocates and/or any group that polarizes, distracts and diverts attention.

There are fewer issues more, again that word, polarizing than the Middle East and Israel.  Florida looks strong for Obama; he's ahead of Mr. Potter.  Florida has a dense population of retired Jews whose allegiance to Israel is, well, obvious.  Jackson's rhetoric, especially as it concerns "Zionists," scares the bejesus (is that possible?) out of a lot of folks, Jewish and otherwise.  So, I respectfully ask, whom is he trying to appeal to?  There is no need to incite anyone or group or to cause the issue door to open the slightest thus allowing McCain to storm through with irrelevant, incendiary issues a la Steve Schmidt.

Twenty days.  Twenty days.