By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Star Editorial Board

Of course, right-wing radio hosts and bloggers are attacking Barack Obama for the inflammatory language used by his longtime pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr.

But here's a bigger worry for Obama: What will voters in the Heartland -- in strategic Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, even Illinois -- do now?

The Midwestern states have given Obama some striking victories over Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries. Obama's narrow victory in Missouri last month tops that list.

It's clear that Obama will have to come up with a better answer than the one he was giving late Friday about his relationship with Wright.

Essentially, Obama said he didn't hear the most vituperative sermons, and he disagrees with some of Wright's strong denunciations of America.

That's not good enough. Even Democratic supporters of Obama are recoiling at some of the things Wright said.

The passionate critics of Obama will pound away in the days ahead, saying the Wright incident raises big questions about whether the Illinois senator is fit to be president.

That's to be expected. But Obama and his allies have to be really concerned about something else.

How long will the general public be fixated on the Wright controversy, and how much will it hurt Obama with voters? Especially in the Heartland of America.