An al Qaeda Election Plot

[palintology]

http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/10/02/why-osama-bin-laden-and-al-qaeda-might-try-to-affect-the-election-between-barack-obama-and-john-mccain.html

Why Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda Might Try to Affect the Election Between Barack Obama and John McCain
Intelligence officials are worried, Richard Clarke writes, that al Qaeda may try to affect elections
By Richard Clarke
Posted October 2, 2008

John Kerry believes that the so-called al Qaeda Halloween videotape released days before the last presidential election in the United States affected enough undecided voters that it may have made the difference in the outcome. Remember that a swing of only 60,000 voters in Ohio would have resulted in a President Kerry.

Experts still debate whether it was al Qaeda's intention to affect the Spanish political process when it attacked the Madrid commuter train network three days before that country's March 2004 election. The attack did result in an electoral defeat for the incumbent party, which had sent troops to Iraq at the request of the United States.

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Welcome to DU!

:patriot:

[melody]

2. Yeah, Americans are really going to be worrying about that between now and the election

When you're watching your future melt away, Osama bin Hasbeen is the least of our worries.

[Maine-i-acs]

3. (1) The Oct 2004 tape = Hoax. (2) Spanish bomb - NOT AQ.

Oct tape - audio matched with old video, poorly authenticated.

Spain bombing March 2004 - homegrown terrorists 'inspired' by AQ, but not true AQ operatives.


Clarke can do better than this...

Watch for the phony terror alert, LIHOP, etc. engineered not by AQ, but by Rove's goons.

[CJCRANE]

4. Al-Qaeda is in the tank for McCain

as it was for Bush before him.

If you actually read the full transcript of Bin Laden's '04 tape he pretty much thanks Bush-Cheney for making al-Qaeda so successful. (Find a mirror site of the full transcript that was on al-Jazeera. The transcript on the CNN site was edited).

[BlueIdaho]

5. Welcome - and thanks for playing our little game.

Your concern is noted.

[Spike89]

6. Would boomerang this time

I'm not so sure it had the effect in 2004, but this time it would at best be a null--not having caught Obama is on the Republicans, making him an issue doesn't help them. As for another terror attack, that might bring in some support, but lose at least as many more, especially as McCain has already linked himself to Bush by promoting the "we prevented another 911 for 7 years" meme.

About the only way McCain can benefit from Al Quada at this point is if he can somehow get credit for pre-empting a credible plot...not a likely scenario as John is pretty busy losing this election and the barrier to "credible" is awfully high. I don't see the focus leaving the bailout for at least a couple weeks and by then, it will be too late for an effective surprise.