Hardly noticed in the angst and turmoil over the so-called financial rescue plan was the verdict in the O.J. Simpson armed robbery and kidnapping trial.  Much has been made of the confluence of 13’s: the verdict coming 13 years to the day after the former USC running back and Heisman Trophy winner was acquitted for the Brentwood double murders. After a 13-day trial, the jurors deliberated 13 hours to arrive at guilty verdicts on 13 counts of crimes committed on September 13. Thirteen is O.J. Simpson’s unlucky number

Besides the financial crisis, the other distraction from the third O.J. trial was the election of the century, pitting an African-American candidate, Barack Obama, born in the 1960s, against John McCain, the grandson and son of admirals, who is even older than the baby boomers who contested and occupied the White House for the last 16 years.  African-American blogger Jasmyne Cannick contends that O.J. has “finally run out of juice” now that his “ghetto pass” has been revoked.  O.J. could formerly count on the same blind support that saw Mike Tyson leave jail to cheers from African Americans following his rape sentence.  Singer R. Kelly had the support of at least some segments of the same community as he stood trial for child pornography and was recently acquitted.

Maybe the fact that O.J. came to this bitter end in relative obscurity suggests that the Black community has better alternatives than celebrities facing charges of rape, murder, and other serious felonies.  Maybe the customs officials in Black America have issued an honorary ghetto pass to Barack Obama, who has White voters as well as African-American voters clamoring for his attention.  The notion of Black jury nullification has given way to a transformative candidate who holds the promise of unifying a nation grown tired of wedge issues and identity politics.  Are you listening Jesse Jackson?