Pre-Election Bomb; A Political Boost for Obama?

Seehund

Banned
Though the administration has declined to raise the terror alert level, the very public nature of the Yemen bomb plot is seen as giving President Obama and incumbent Congressional Democrats a much-needed political shot in the arm, conveniently enough just days before the midterm elections. This gave an opportunity for President Obama to look “presidential,” as he gave a high profile speech vowing “any steps necessary” to see al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate destroyed.

The fact that by all accounts no explosives appear to have actually gotten to the United States also likely plays to the administration’s advantage, and indeed the advantage of all incumbents, who can claim that the “system worked” in this regard even as they promise major new foreign policy ventures in retaliation. Recent polls had showed Democrats taking big hits in the upcoming Midterm election, and President Obama’s campaigning doing very little to help. The consequences of a shift in the popular interest away from the economy and onto hawkish rhetoric about revenge attacks against al-Qaeda at the last minute could be significant, and might well mean that the massive losses the incumbents were facing will no longer apply.
 
Though the administration has declined to raise the terror alert level, the very public nature of the Yemen bomb plot is seen as giving President Obama and incumbent Congressional Democrats a much-needed political shot in the arm, conveniently enough just days before the midterm elections. This gave an opportunity for President Obama to look “presidential,” as he gave a high profile speech vowing “any steps necessary” to see al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate destroyed.

The fact that by all accounts no explosives appear to have actually gotten to the United States also likely plays to the administration’s advantage, and indeed the advantage of all incumbents, who can claim that the “system worked” in this regard even as they promise major new foreign policy ventures in retaliation. Recent polls had showed Democrats taking big hits in the upcoming Midterm election, and President Obama’s campaigning doing very little to help. The consequences of a shift in the popular interest away from the economy and onto hawkish rhetoric about revenge attacks against al-Qaeda at the last minute could be significant, and might well mean that the massive losses the incumbents were facing will no longer apply.
"The system worked" unless they were bombs, & set to go off in flight. Sounds like 3 planes would have been down.
 
I don't know about you guys but I just can't see this being a professional terrorist assault. I mean think it through. They put a bomb in a package and it was discovered before it even left the airport. I seriously doubt a professional or long lasting terrorist organisation like al-Qaeda or the Taliban would make such a foolish mistake. I don't know, I don't think it was them. It just seems to obvious if you get where I am coming from.
 
Well this is the thing. All of them have been discovered...or as far as we know they have. We wont know for a few more days because we'd have to wait for something to blow up but assuming we have found them all....a professional or at least experienced terrorist organisation should be able to get at least one if not all of the bombs through.
 
Probably not a boost for President Obama, as he is not running.:smile:

Probably not much help for Democratic candidates as most have tried to distance themselves from President Obama. Most people will just think Homeland Security was doing what they were supposed to do.
 
There was a plot to blow up several airliners in flight. IF these were real bombs & they were intended to bring down the freighters, they would have made it to the intended targets. Seems there is an incredible amount of stuff air frieghted every day & they have disrupted that temporarily with little effort.
 
I don't know about you guys but I just can't see this being a professional terrorist assault. I mean think it through. They put a bomb in a package and it was discovered before it even left the airport. I seriously doubt a professional or long lasting terrorist organisation like al-Qaeda or the Taliban would make such a foolish mistake. I don't know, I don't think it was them. It just seems to obvious if you get where I am coming from.
I do unwillingly ignore suspicion, as such, but whole "discovery" is based on intelligence...
also, "discovery" is only timing of action
For once, $$$ spend on CIA ets had paid for itself:drunkb:
 
They're saying now the bombs had PETN in them with a cell phone detonator. They're also going back to reexamine a UPS 747 crash in Dubai last month.
 
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