Spike Lee: Hand of God Caused Economic Crisis to Get Obama Elected

January 19th, 2009 12:55 PM

File this one under the “I can’t believe he just said that on television."


Controversial filmmaker Spike Lee revealed he thought the economic difficulties that are presently plaguing the country were ordained by God to help get Barack Obama elected president. Lee appeared on MSNBC’s Jan. 10 “Morning Joe” and, in an interview with co-host Joe Scarborough, he made the revelation.


“I’ve always believed, and it seems naive, that God’s had a hand in America,” Scarborough said. “And I get a real sense you feel that God has had a real hand in this.”


“So many things have happened – all of a sudden, the economy goes south at that moment, and then McCain,” Lee replied. “There were so many things. It was almost a movement that had to be ordained, I think.”


Whether or not it was a product of divine intervention, political insiders do believe the market collapse last fall had a huge impact on McCain’s bid for the presidency, as Dan Schnur, national communications director for John McCain's 2000 presidential bid pointed out in the Nov. 3, 2008 Los Angeles Times.


“The turning point in this election didn't happen on the campaign trail but rather on Wall Street,” Schnur wrote. “In the last week of September, the race was essentially tied. Then Wall Street collapsed -- and it collapsed right on top of John McCain."


Lee has made several media appearances in recent days, promoting his “Refresh the World” symposium to celebrate the Martin Luther King Day holiday and the Obama inauguration. Last week, Lee referred to Washington, D.C. with an antiquated reference – that the city is a “chocolate city,” on CNN in an interview from Park City, Utah’s Sundance Film Festival.


(h/t Finkleblog)