The big news not too long ago was TV icon Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. It was seen as a potential game changer and the talk show host was poised to fight for her candidate of choice, even if it had the potential to drive some of her audience away. So why have we not seen Oprah since February?

Oprah’s name has been mentioned an awful lot, connecting her with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright whose church she attended for a time until she stopped in the 1990’s. Sen. Obama has hinted that he heard sermons by Wright that had made him uncomfortable over his own 20 year association with the church, but denies that he knew the man he saw in videos denouncing America. However Newsweek looked into Oprah’s departure from the church and reports the following:

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.” Oprah’s decision to distance herself came as a surprise to Wright, who told Christianity Today in 2002 that when he would “run into her socially … she would say, ‘Here’s my pastor!’ ” (Winfrey declined to comment. A Harpo Productions spokesperson would not confirm her reasons for leaving the church.)

If the reports of Oprah’s uncomfortable reaction to many of Wright’s sermons are true, then there may be a conflict with Senator Obama’s recollection of his time in the church and the man who ran it which could explain Oprah’s lack of visibility on the campaign trail or why she did not spring to Obama’s defense. Reports of a backlash from fans for her going public with her support or any number of things could explain it as well. With Wright such a major issue for the campaign at this time though, it is natural to put the two together.

One has to wonder, why isn’t the TV star out defending or campaigning for her candidate especially on a topic she has intimate knowledge of? Where is Oprah, who was so willing to lend her support a few months ago? Has the Obama campaign asked for it, if not, why?