Will Osama bin Laden be their October Surprise?

[nichomachus]

We can be sure there will be an October Surprise. There's always something. The Palin distraction will have run its course by then and they will need something to concentrate the hearts and minds of the undecided voters.

I've been thinking for a long time that it would be a war with Iran or a false-flag "terror attack" on US soil to get the wanderers back in the fold.

But a piece in the WaPo this morning got me thinking. Something's up with bin Laden. According to the WaPo, they are using new tactics and closing in on where they think he's hiding. Are they going to "capture" bin Laden just in time to rescue the ticket?


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/09/AR2008090903404.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Frustrated by repeated dead ends in the search for Osama bin Laden, U.S. and Pakistani officials said they are questioning long-held assumptions about their strategy and are shifting tactics to intensify the use of the unmanned but lethal Predator drone spy plane in the mountains of western Pakistan.

There has been no confirmed trace of bin Laden since he narrowly escaped from the CIA and the U.S. military after the battle near Tora Bora, Afghanistan, in December 2001, according to U.S., Pakistani and European officials. They said they are now concentrating on a short list of other al-Qaeda leaders who have been sighted more recently, in hopes that their footprints could lead to bin Laden.

What better way for Dubya to rescue his legacy and what better way to prop up the McCorrupt/WTF ticket than parading around with the head of OBL on a stick.


I could be wrong, but it's as plausible as any -- just be assured they will pull something.

[DemzRock]

1. Not a good Oct Surprise. Then we wouldn't need a strong military POW guy, would we?

[nichomachus]

5. Sure. They would argue

that it was the strong leadership and military experience of George Bush that has kept us terror-free since 9-11 and we need more of that decisive action.

[Forkboy]

13. Just because the Colonel's face is on the bucket doesn't mean he makes the chicken.

I'm not even sure what that means. :silly:

[flamingdem]

2. I think this is plausible. Al Quaeda is threatening but the MSM is ignoring, so...? nt

[1Hippiechick]

3. I think they may be thawing him out now...slowly.... n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. How long would it take to properly thaw a corpse that was frozen in 2002?

It takes 2 or 3 days for a 20 pound Thanksgiving turkey, so for a 6'5" frozen terrorist, I'd guess at least a week, maybe longer?

[brooklynite]

4. Just the way they could have in 2004 or 2006?

[nichomachus]

6. Maybe they didn't have him in 2004 or 2006

I'm guessing they may already have him and will trot him out when it's convenient -- or at least the body.

[Blue_Tires]

14. there was an OBL video the week of the 04 election

remember?

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. They might thaw him out in October. Anything's possible. nt

[Bucky]

8. How do you kick up a discussion thread from four years ago? Or was it six years ago?

[nichomachus]

21. When the Washington Post carries it on Page one today

[tularetom]

9. Nah - OBL is like abortion for them

Once they outlaw abortion they have nothin to get the dumshits excited about at election time.

Once they get Osama they have no excuse for starting all these silly ass wars.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Hasn't Bush et. al been kind of "meh......" about Bin Laden since around 2002?

A possible counter-answer to such an "October Surprise" like that would be, "It took SEVEN years to track Bin Laden down and capture/kill him?" Sure, getting him out of commission one way or another would be good for us (and the world) but would people suddenly lose their heads and vote Republican just because they trot Bin Laden (or his corpse) out after SEVEN YEARS of not being able to do so and not really caring about finding him for at least six years (if they were ever really interested in getting him in the first place)? Also, it would probably only reinforce Obama's message that we took our eye off of our goals in Afghanistan (completely eliminating the Taliban and capturing or killing Bin Laden) by diverting the bulk of our resources to Iraq for the past FIVE years.

Of course, I don't have a lot of faith in the public and I imagine that some people might really flock (back) to McSame should incontrovertible proof emerges that Bin Laden has been captured or killed but Obama has been on the RIGHT side of what we should've been doing post-9/11 and McSame has been on the WRONG side.

[Renew Deal]

12. Yes

There will be an Osama video. Guaranteed.

[barack the house]

15. ...

...

[barack the house]

16. Dupe.

...

[barack the house]

17. If they do a false flag operation and put in a patsy actor. I hope bin laden then realeases another>

video to debunk it. Besides troops will get a better deal if they find him after November than before, it's more of the same if they get him now.

[blondeatlast]

18. Osama who? Would it be effective? People have TANGIBLE fears;

money, loss of jobs, chances are most working/midlle-class voters know SOMEONE who is in danger of losing a home.

[WinkyDink]

19. "I truly am not that concerned about him."

" QUESTION 'But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?'

"THE PRESIDENT: 'Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I – I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.'"

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=3785

[ronnykmarshall]

20. and he'll be found in Alaska by TAWD Palin.

[sabbat hunter]

22. We have been hearing this

every fall during election season since 2001.