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I wrote a whole diatribe about this last night, but didn't realize my connection had gone down while I was writing, and when I tried to post, the post was lost.
But as far as the bizarre amount of attention that this story is getting, there are three simple reasons.
1. Imus is a major figure in the media and political world - and so the people making coverage decisions are disproportionately interested in the story. Most people wouldn't give two shits about the story - but it interests the media and the people they cover - so it gets a lot more coverage than it deserves.
2. Many of the people covering the story have a stake in it. MSNBC wants to defend itself and grab curiosity viewers; CNN and FOX want to bring one of MSNBC's biggest personalities down; the newspapers (whose circulation is plummeting as most people depend on TV and the web for their news) want to show that they're the "real" journalists and above all of this.
3. The people fanning the flames have something to gain as well - Jackson and Sharpton are always trying to cement their position as "spokesmen" for the African-American community, and Sharpton is trying to gain an audience for his fledgling, low-rated radio show.
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