Is catching/killing Osama Bin Laden Bush's plan for winning the election?

[JDPriestly]

Let me put on my tin foil hat first. I have no inside knowledge, no sources, just my own peabrain and what passes for logic, oh and yes, my "political experience" none of it, of course, professional. But then, if Miss Marple could find the bad guy every time, why not me. But, I want to be very clear: this is just my imagination/intuition.

I believe that the Bush administration has known for years just exactly where Bin Laden, or if he is dead as he may well be, where the remnants of his organization are. And I believe that Bush has waited and watched and played a cat and mouse game with Bin Laden's organization and more important us, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE all this time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2889551be

Folks, politics is not about current events; it is the art of storytelling. It isn't just about what happens, it's also how you talk about what happens. It is about form. It's like writing a play, composing a symphony, designing a painting. There must be balance, timing and a strong, gripping beginning. There must be crises. Themes must be developed carefully, characters introduced and explored. Suspense must build as the story develops. We must weep and laugh for the heroes, hiss and shake our fists at the villains.

As the curtain falls, as we begin the last chapters of Bush's reign, just watch. I suspect that his plan for ensuring a Republican victory in the fall is to pull a deus ex machina and capture/kill the great villain of his story: Bin Laden. It's all a matter of playing out the details now. Grab your popcorn. Put on your slippers. Find a comfortable seat. Watch the show. There will be fireworks -- just in time for the November election.

Of course, if we can predict based on Bush's past attempts at drama, it will probably be a huge dud. It just isn't in Bush to succeed at anything. He is bound to flub this too. Instead of great heroics and a happy ending, we will discover that we have been watching a tragi-comedy all along. Most likely, in the end, the entire stage will fall on Bush and with it the reputation of our military and our political way of life. Storytelling is an art, and Bush has not mastered it.

[BoneDaddy]

1. A little late

I think to make any real movement for the archaic GOP.

[robinlynne]

2. I'm gonna go with Diebold is counting the votes is his plan.

[Cleita]

3. Considering that there are some, not to be dismissed so

easily, rumors that Osama is dead and BushCo knows about it, it would seem that they are waiting for an auspicious moment to announce his death if this is true. :tinfoilhat:

[JDPriestly]

10. Very good point. The fireworks may be a cover.

Bush may already know the ending. Of course, the whole thing is just a cover for trying out military equipment and paying money to Bush's friends for their equipment and services.

Don't get me wrong. I believe there are Islamic "terrorists." But I don't think you can get rid of them by conventional or even unconventional military means. Rather than shutting down and becoming secretive, I believe the best protection against terrorism is to become even more open, inclusive. We should encourage debate, discussion and the involvement of normal, nonmilitant Muslims in our society and the world.

The extremists have to be a small minority of the Muslim population in my opinion. It would be better to isolate them and make them less important. They should be shown for the misguided fools that they are.

Bush and his "war on terror" have empowered the extremists and made them much more important than they really possibly could be. Most people would rather enjoy their families and prosperity than go around martyring themselves. We should be trying to diminish the appeal of these fringe groups. Bush has managed to make them seem heroic, much stronger and more powerful than they really could possibly be. The whole Bush approach is that of an abusive parent. I can't wait until Bush is gone from office.

[dchill]

4. Theoretically, Bush won't be...

running in this election. Bin Laden has been dead for years. He is currently a fictional co-production of the CIA and whomever is Al Qaeda these days.

[Ganja Ninja]

5. I believe that Bush has ... a cat and mouse game with Bin Laden.

Yeah like an episode of Itchy and Scratchy.

[monktonman]

6. I think he's been dead for years.

They've had him on ice in Cheneys undisclosed freezer location
and will open the zip lock, whipe off the freezer burn and present him
just in time for the election.

I dont need no stinking tin-foil hat.

[Hydra]

7. Bin Laden has been dead for years

I kept expecting them to use that during the WMD disaster...but it seems even that was not enough to get the people rioting.

Expect another Diebold moment...and for us to accept that. They don't need to do more, they've figured out.

[Buzz Clik]

8. Bhutto suggested that bin Laden is already dead.

[lurky]

9. If he can't find Bin Laden, he'll bring in the guy from ZZ Top.

Put a turban on him, and most people won't even notice the difference.



:P

[JDPriestly]

11. It's interesting how many people believe Bin Laden is dead.

That of course is precisely why Bush would choose his "death" or at least attacks feigned to kill him the center of his final act. He already knows the ending. But still, he is bound to flub it -- like those Bin Laden videos that were found to have been doctored and actually altered at different times, like the Saddam arrest video that just looked so contrived it wasn't funny. Let's see what this third rate Grade F movie director has planned for us this time.

[wiggs]

12. Valid question...doesn't just pertain to OBL. They control the events and the

stories about the events. This summer you can bet there will be threats from Iran and other countries and lots of success stories from Iraq.

There will be more #2 Al Queda guys knocked off. We may see a few troops come home. OBL will either be found or there will be evidence that he's been dead for years. Or he'll surface in a series of threatening videos that infer that he would love to see a dem elected. There may be some instability in Pakistan. John McCain will walk through an Iraq marketplace and declare normalcy and happiness. There may be some photo opps on an aircraft carrier.

The election is so important (for all of us, for all of those currently in office at risk of exposure, and for the corporate boardrooms at the heart of all of this) that we can be sure there will be manipulation of information for the benefit of entrenched power.

This is an uphill battle resulting from decades of planning, investment, positioning, and erosion of truth and democracy. That republicans would even have a shot in November after seven years of the MOST DESTRUCTIVE ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS EVER is an early indication of the dynamic.

To combat this: Dems better come prepared to show the nation how badly government has been twisted IN ALL POLICY AREAS to benefit the already rich and powerful. They better not put all their eggs in one Iraq basket. The administration can manipulate events in Iraq, but they would have a hard time defending their record of failure across the board, day after day, on education, science, global warming, environment, health care, energy, economy, foreign relations, etc.. Starting now...not after OBL is found. Start talking about how bad they are...now and in plain English. Talk about putting lobbyists in regulatory positions. Talk about bribing congressmen for Medcaid votes. Talk about fake commercials. Talk about Duke, DeLay, and all the prosecutions. Talk about Rove giving political seminars illegally. Issue a new press release every day between now and November about misdeeds.

This is not optional. If the dems don't make a strong, diverse case they will allow the GOP to tell the story their way, as you say.

And it may not hurt to have others (dem pundits) start speculating that, given the history of this administration in fabricating stories (Tillman, rescued girl soldier, Niger, etc) we can EXPECT to see lots of OBL, Iran, Iraq stories coming soon. Take away the thunder before it happens.