Would another Terrorist Attack on U.S. Soil Help or Hurt Bushco?

[Homer12]

This is a tricky question to answer becuase as we know GW likes to add 9/11 in everything he says, from speeches to this excpert I found from him ordering cereal ,"I would like Corn Flakes since they represnt Freedom Flakes, which the terrorsits on 9/11 hate the most!"

Condi and George like to scare the people and use this fear in order to push back civil liberties so they can get more power, would another attack give them more domestic spying capabilites? Insuring they could sabatoge and spy on opposition in the USA.

Would it hurt them becuase they failed to protect anybody, evidence is plenty that Iraq was on GW's penis alomst the second he stole the presidency?

The field is open, please add your thoughts?

[ellie]

1. I would like to think

that people would be outraged that the nitwit isn't "keeping us safe," and an attack would ruin his chances. However, people are irrational and would probably rally around, waving flags, and vote * in in a landslide. Only afterwards, would people have buyer's remorse.

[bigtree]

2. I can only think of those who would be injured.

I can't imagine looking to see who got an advantage from some mindless murder.

[Brotherjohn]

5. Of course. Please don't assume that a reply that it would hurt Bush...

... is IN ANY WAY wishing something so horrible would ever happen.

It's merely a hypothetical question worth thinking about, especially given events in Spain and the fact that the administration itself has just yesterday suggested that Al Qaeda may attack us in an effort to try to affect the election.

[bigtree]

14. I'm sorry I sounded so accusatory

[Brotherjohn]

28. I didn't think it was accusatory, but I wanted to be clear that in my...

... reply below, no one interpreted it at all as my wanting something so horrible to happen.

I think it's a realistic question, however, as the Bush administration (Ridge) has just made the suggestion that Al Qaeda may attack to try to influence the election.

What they are doing is horrid. That is one step removed from saying "don't let the terrorists win, don't vote for Kerry", even though an attack has not yet happened. They are saying this in case an attack does happen.

[LeahMira]

25. I thought this too

It seems like sort of a strange question.

I guess these are strange times... who could have imagined that we might be wondering about LIHOP and MIHOP kinds of things.

[Brotherjohn]

3. HURT. So you say you're good at keeping us safe, eh?

Just HOW is that, again?

If he played the "Don't let the terrorists win!" card, I believe the populace would reply with a firm "Don't tell us how to vote, A**hole!"

I suppose it could help if they declared martial law and suspended the elections. But I don't think that would wash. Even the slowest Americans would say "Hmmmnn. Selected by the Supreme Court last time. Suspending elections this time. Hey W! How about shipping back some of that 'democracy' you sent over to Iraq!"

[vi5]

4. God forbid it happens but there's no doubt it would help

the rally factor would be overwhelming. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.

[NewJeffCT]

30. I think you're correct

People tend to rally together in times in crisis and the middle of the roaders out there haven't been paying enough attention to think LIHOP, MIHOP or just plain incompetence by Bush. Maybe a year to 18 months after it happens, we'll get the questions.

[sce56]

6. If there is another attack comparable to 911 then it is CODE RED TIME

And goodbye CONSTITUTION! Martial law! King BU$H

<>

[Red_Viking]

7. Spain was a test case

Not to get the whole conspiracy theory debate fired up again...but I saw what happened in Spain as a test. So, how would people react if there was a "terrorist incident" *cough cough* right before an election? When I heard people were in the streets demanding action against the ETA, I thought the conservatives had Spain sewn up. Imagine my surprise when Zapatero won in a landslide!

That tells me there may be a lot of posturing and scary warnings thrown around, but nothing will happen.

I keep hoping the October Surprise will be one sprung by the CIA on the administration for what they did to Valerie Plame. :) Hey, a girl can dream, can't she??

:dem:

RV

[redqueen]

11. I like your analysis

I'm still worried about them declaring martial law and stopping elections altogether, though.

[Brotherjohn]

13. Everybody's afraid of that, but how could they justify it? After 9-11...

... we all got along just fine without martial law. That would have to be SOME widespread, devastating attack!

I think if they tried to suspend the elections with martial law, they'd have a revolution on their hands. And I'm not exaggerrating my opinion. A full-blown, shooting revolution.

Which they then, of course, would blame on "terrorists", and...

Wait a minute... (gulp!)

[Red_Viking]

15. I agree

We may be a nation of sheeple, but even the Wal-Mart dwellers have their limits. When armed soldiers take to the streets, even the most brain dead freeper would say, "What the--?" I think you're right. We would have a revolution.

I know this administration is up to their eyeballs in hubris, but I hope they are not this dumb.

RV

[Canuckistanian]

27. People in Spain weren't demanding action on ETA

They were protesting the the government's LIES trying to blame the incidents on ETA, despite ovewhelming evidence that it was Al Qaeda.
That was the last straw for the people. Aznar's decision to go into Iraq was opposed by 90% of the population. If anything, the attacks reminded everyone of that.
Besides, polling at the time had the conservatives slightly ahead, but within the margin of error.

[mmonk]

8. Americans are a little different in many regards

I'd say help. We'd probably be under martial law, so its probably mute anyway.

[meegbear]

9. Both; it will be spun ...

If he wins the election "The American people stood up against terrorists".

If he losess the election "The terrorists won".

Heads I win, tails you lose.

[Homer12]

12. I agree it will be spun on the right

and half the nation that are not RW BUSH whores will be spun as traitors and the terrorists won.

You know what I say to the RW Bush WHORES, they can f**K off and find a dictatorship to live in. Hey we have Saddam.

[Tellurian]

10. People can already see through Bush's deception..

If another attack happened, they'd run him and Cheny out on a rail bareassed.

[fob]

19. I would think so too. But there was a time right here on DU

where there were hundreds of threads and thousands of posts that another attack would ensure bush*s first election to prez. I couldn't understand for the life of me how that would be, but many here seemed convinced.

Let's look at some "facts"
bush* loses election by over 540,000 votes
bush* installed by 5 to 4 vote
bush* flails about pushing his tax cuts to spur job growth that are the exact same type of cuts he campaigned on that were because of surplusses(it's our money)
bush* does such a whacked out job Jim Jeffords LEAVES the repuke party
bush* pushes for still further tax cuts
bush* voodoo economics takeing hold of country
TERROR ATTACK ON US of A!!!
bush* "approval" goes to record levels
bush* pushes pnac agenda as fast as possible
bush* did a "fantastic job" after 9/11 (I feel queasy even typing that - and where the hell was he BEFORE!)
bush* is a self-proclaimed war president
if you're against bush*, you're for terrorists
if you're against bush*, you're unpatriotic
bush* has made us safer(bush* brand safer = infinitely worse off)
bush* is resolute and sure of his convictions(I wish that were the 25 to life type and not the insane fundie christian type)
bush* approval in steady state of decline
bush* "captures" saddam
bush* approval rises
bush* approval declines
Dem primaries begin
bush* and Kerry neck and neck with bush* re-elect and right path/wrong path numbers in the shits
bush* smear machine kicks in gear against another war hero named John
bush* says Spain terror event proves that you must vote for him or they win

TERROR ATTACK ON US of A!!!

bush* is....toast?

In summary I will quote the crawford turd himself; Fool me once, uh..., fool me twice, uh, uh...CAN'T GET FOOLED AGAIN!!!

[cmf]

16. It would help them

The idiots who would vote for Bush wouldn't want to "give the terrorists what they wanted" by voting for Kerry.

[Changenow]

17. Absolutely help.

They have history to show them as well as some polling that was done after the Spanish elections. It is like the old joke, beat me because it feels so good when you stop.

[hexola]

18. If Kerry is elected...will that GUARANTEE an attack???

Punishment for not voting Bush..."we told ya so" type of thing - (tinfoil)

or - just terrorists taking advantage of the strategic advantage offered as the US changes leadership...

[hexola]

20. 9-11 was such a huge success - why tarnish their legacy?

Al Queda has already had thier "big hit" in America...

I think they have delt a lethal blow...they just need to stand by and watch the giant die...he might might kick and squirm a bit...more attacks would not benefit them - they have us right where they want us.

[mim.k]

21. worse case scenario

I think that there are a number of worse case scenario events that could happen that Bush can manage to use to promote his campaign, in fact..... I have been working on writing a worse case scenario story about how Bush gets re-elected and what happens to the world once that happens. the story is actually told in the year 2223. About
30 single-spaced pages have been completed, and the story has a beginning, middle and end... but I'm working on developing it more
and doing some editorial type changes. I've never written a book before so I have no idea of how to get it out there... and to be honest, that is how I found this forum... someone suggested that I put the story out on an internet discussion group and have people write in to add ideas, edit, make suggestions, and even devise their
own worse case scenarios... in the hope that it will help stop Bush from getting re-elected. As soon as they let me post my own message
I'll put it up as a separate posting... but I thought that your
thread might be a good place to get something started, until I write
enough replies to discussions to allow to do so. I hope you don't mind my ulterior motive for responding to your posting, but I thought that it was a pretty appropriate place. thanks, Miriam

[mim.k]

22. worse case scenario

I just realized that I should probably give my e-mail address to anyone who would be interested in contacting me about the story
or some suggestions or information or desire to pursue the internet
thing with it: [e-mail]
or
[e-mail]

[Zinfandel]

23. Everything seems to help Bush!

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/04/21/MNGC468FG41.DTL

[tom_paine]

24. Hard to say. I think the Busheviks are going to LIHOP #2 anyway

Desperate Monsters do Desperate Things.

"It might not work, but we'll never know unless we try" is probably Cheney's & Rove's view of the matter.

[SOteric]

26. I just read a thread this morning where a poster here at DU

wondered why a CNN poll might possibly show 42% of the respondents favouring a recommittment to the Patriot Act.

I'm not boggled by this. We here at DU, and many other liberals and progressives, approach the administration with skepticism. We value our freedoms more than the appearance of safety with which relinquishing those freedoms might imbue us.

But the vast majority of the U.S. is not so disposed.

The nation isn't divided into Right- and Left-leaning people. It's divided into Right, Left and apolitical people, and the apolitical folks or mildly political folks are in the majority. They're afraid. However much the Patriot Act may be an illusion of safety, it's an illusion many cling to fiercely.

In terms of how attacks could play to the American voting public, I'd say that very much depends on:

• What news and information the media decides to give access to
• The public response will be to the current noise being generated over Bush's mishandling of the rush to war in Iraq
  
• What group perpetrates the hypothetical attack
  
• The severity and target of the hypothetical attack

Any one of these factors could send the response in a specific direction.

[0007]

29. Who knows?

Could go either way.

[Generator]

31. In my mind it would guarantee a Bush victory

The only thing this moron has ever had besides the Religious right is the fear monger machine and "great leadership" created by ignoring the million warning signs, being on vacation, and then acting like it was an ACT OF GOD (oh how ironic both Bush and the terrorists are working for their respective Allahs) when we were attacked.

Rice, Ridge et all have made it sound like it's already a fait acompli and since they hold no responsiblity for defending this country, they would be blameless again. Their philosophy is all offense, they don't believe in defense. Now, they are on a "war footing" and that's what they are doing to protect us. The Iraq war is our great protection.

And all the idiots would rally around them again and vote Bush another four more years to continue this great leadership. (I once gave Bush a break for five minutes after 9/11, I once thought that Iraq had WMD and was initially for that war, I was lied to and I don't think it's ACCEPTABLE to be an idiot and ignore the real government you have.) I've lost all respect for the "other half" of this country. You get the government you deserve.

Oh and Mr. Bush, I don't plan to be DEAD when history annoints you worst President ever.