Terrorirst attack in the US 'd be advantageous for McCain,says his top adviser

[Afro-European]

A top adviser to Sen. John McCain said that a terrorist attack in the United States would be a political benefit to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, a comment that was immediately disputed by the candidate and denounced by his Democratic rival.
Charles R. Black Jr., one of McCain's most senior political advisers, said in an interview with Fortune magazine that a fresh terrorist attack "certainly would be a big advantage to him." He also said that the December assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, while "unfortunate," helped McCain win the Republican primary by focusing attention on national security.


Full article here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/23/AR2008062301979.html?hpid=topnews

[Afro-European]

It is a poor reflection on how to manipulate people, but this guy is right.
How is he right? By spreading fear among people to get to the white house?

[WarriorMonk]

I'm not quite sure how, being that while Bush has performed the most amazing ****ups in human history, not one terrorist attack has occurred in the US mainland, some people seem to attribute relative safety to Bush that way, a terrorist attack on the US mainland is going to put a serious hole in not only the Republican stance but the very idea that the Patriot Act among other things, while unconstitutional, kept us safe apparently.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Well the guy is probably right, considering the options on the table at the moment. There are of course certain truths that should not be spoken, and this is probably one of 'em.

[Zoomie]

Oh no an Obama McCain thread again? Don't we have like 4 already?(started today).

Fixed. p-)

[Snoshi]

Well the guy is probably right, considering the options on the table at the moment. There are of course certain truths that should not be spoken, and this is probably one of 'em.

Too true..

[Afro-European]

Well the guy is probably right, considering the options on the table at the moment. There are of course certain truths that should not be spoken, and this is probably one of 'em.
The McCain campign is so inept. Actually it may not be true that a terrorist attack would benefit him. People could well decide that instead of a lockstep reaction.

[Afro-European]

Fixed. p-)
Unlike you,i don't make a "McCain bashing thread" every 1 or 2 hours.
Btw still i'm waiting for you to spew your daily anti-Obama venom.p-)

[Ordie]

"There is no hope without fear, no fear without hope."
-Baruch Spinoza 1677

[Macs.]

Old news.


"Of course, the people don't want war," Goerring said. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece."

"Naturally, the common people don't want war... . That is understood. After all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a Fascist dictatorship or a parliament or a communist dictatorship," Goerring said.

Gilbert responded: "There's one difference. In a democracy, the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives. And in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

"Oh, that is all well and good. But voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
-Herman Göring in captivity.

[Afro-European]

"There is no hope without fear, no fear without hope."
-Baruch Spinoza 1677
If I might paraphrase: “Charging a man with politicizing terrorism was like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500.”:):):)

[gobdav]

God help us if there is a terrorist attack before the election. It will bring American society to an ultimate low. While the families of those who die will mourn, the rest of the country will use the victims as political tools.
I can hear the completely shallow and useless conversations already...

[[WDW]Megaraptor]

Well the guy is probably right, considering the options on the table at the moment. There are of course certain truths that should not be spoken, and this is probably one of 'em.

I don't think showing America that Republican policies have failed to prevent terrorist attacks inside the United States would help a Republican get elected to the White House.

[Afro-European]

God help us if there is a terrorist attack before the election. It will bring American society to an ultimate low. While the families of those who die will mourn, the rest of the country will use the victims as political tools.
I can hear the completely shallow and useless conversations already...
Bet that by September/october there will be an announcement of an “imminent threat" on America, with the highest alert level.
The Homeland Security will do it’s best to scare people all into voting for the “only one" who can save them from “those people”.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Megaraptor;3341818']I don't think showing America that Republican policies have failed to prevent terrorist attacks inside the United States would help a Republican get elected to the White House.

But what were the Democrat polices offered in their place? Anybody? Are we to believe that doing nothing would have been a superior policy? As it is, it could well be argued that right wing polices were diluted into an ineffectual mush in order to get them through Congress. Let's not kid ourselves here - the fringe elements of each group would rule the day and it takes no time at all for the average Joe to size up which one would be better suited to provide security (hint, not the one pushing for drivers licenses and voting rights for illegal aliens and felons, and not the one telling us we've got to frisk grandma at the airport or we're racially insensitive)

[Kilgor]

Bet that by September/october there will be an announcement of an “imminent threat" on America, with the highest alert level.
The Homeland Security will do it’s best to scare people all into voting for the “only one" who can save them from “those people”.

Remind me what happened in 04 ?

People get tired of this october surprise rubbish.

[Winger]

But what were the Democrat polices offered in their place? Anybody? Are we to believe that doing nothing would have been a superior policy? As it is, it could well be argued that right wing polices were diluted into an ineffectual mush in order to get them through Congress. Let's not kid ourselves here - the fringe elements of each group would rule the day and it takes no time at all for the average Joe to size up which one would be better suited to provide security (hint, not the one pushing for drivers licenses and voting rights for illegal aliens and felons, and not the one telling us we've got to frisk grandma at the airport or we're racially insensitive)

Amen brutha.

[budgie]

Megaraptor;3341818']I don't think showing America that Republican policies have failed to prevent terrorist attacks inside the United States would help a Republican get elected to the White House.

That's the flipside, yeah. On the one hand it's an easy out for the Republicans (who are still associated more than the Dems with homeland security) to say, "Look, you still need us!" On the other hand though voters are savvier than 4 years ago and people may well say, "Look, you've bleated on about being tougher on terror for so long and failed to prove it; the previous administration's policies have not made us safer, so let's try something else."

An attack would certainly give McCain a spike, but will it be a huge one or a little bump? Look for the colour-coded alerts come November...

[name already taken]

But what were the Democrat polices offered in their place? Anybody? Are we to believe that doing nothing would have been a superior policy? As it is, it could well be argued that right wing polices were diluted into an ineffectual mush in order to get them through Congress. Let's not kid ourselves here - the fringe elements of each group would rule the day and it takes no time at all for the average Joe to size up which one would be better suited to provide security (hint, not the one pushing for drivers licenses and voting rights for illegal aliens and felons, and not the one telling us we've got to frisk grandma at the airport or we're racially insensitive)
How will all this excitement put some oil in the wells ? Which is really the threat which must not be spoken ?

[2Sheds_Jackson]

How will all this excitement put some oil in the wells ? Which is really the threat which must not be spoken ?

Hey, one manufactured crisis at a time, ok? :)

[Felix U. Gómez]

I guess that Mr. Charles R. Black Jr. will be spending the day mailing out resumes.

[brainplay]

The McCain campign is so inept. Actually it may not be true that a terrorist attack would benefit him. People could well decide that instead of a lockstep reaction.

History says "you're wrong". People are reactionary. Hindsight and speculation lets us come up with "what if" ideas.

Once again the entire thing is contextual. This is trying to paint the McCain field as hoping for a terrorist attack to bolster its popularity. With security one of the big factors with most conservatives something like an attack would indeed work in his favor. Now while thats all nice and speculative, no conservative in their right minds want it to happen no matter what the political capital it gains. Granted, that just doesn't seem to register with the media though.

[budgie]

no conservative in their right minds want it to happen no matter what the political capital it gains. Granted, that just doesn't seem to register with the media though.

Except maybe **** Cheney...