A Truly Scary October Surprise
If you want to speculate what an October surprise might look like try on this one.
Suppose it is a Clinton-Obama Dem ticket vs McCain-Huckabe, and the Republican ticket is training badly. Who would benefit the most from a continuation of the present middle east political situation?, keeping it unstable? Osama bin Laden. So he sets up a huge explosive event that totally rattles the American public. Who are going to flock to? John McCain.
It is entirely possible then that the real power that selects our next President might be our greatest enemy. Scary ain't it!
Rich
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re: Scary October Surprise
You've aroused my curiosity. Why do you believe the American public would flock to McCain after an "explosive event"?
Panic stampede
Hi,
We saw after 9/11 that people in the face of imminent danger panic and seek security in strength. Mr. Bush earned much of his "macho image" due to his relatively quick and decisive post-9/11 actions.
Frankly I believe that neither Senators Clinton or Obama exhibit the strength that Sen. McCain, former soldier and POW, easily projects. People willingly sacrifice civil liberties in the face of danger. "Tough Guy McCain" would easily win, by a landslide, especially against Sen. Obama, "that well known Muslim". In fact, I can foresee the blame for such an attack being laid, by the Rove/Cheney machine, at Sen. Obama's door for either being too ready to talk to middle east extremists (even if he says otherwise) or actually "being the mastermind" of the attack.
I've been witness to many nasty tricks played by the status quo guys, starting back in 1969 with Sam Yorty's last minute rumor mongering against Tom Bradley in Tom's 1st bid for Mayor of Los Angeles. Sam was a pussy cat compared to Rove et. al.
Should such an attack occur, McCain would win, and IMO, that would be the end of American democracy as we know it.
Rich
re: Panic stampede
I can follow your logic, but the nasty tricks I witnessed were perpetrated by former governor, George Wallace (D) of Alabama.
What if the October surprise became a February surprise and either Clinton or Obama is President? Would a Clinton/Obama diplomatic response maintain democracy? Would a Clinton/Obama military response maintain democracy?
Bi-partisan trickery
Yes, you're right, dirty tricks have been played by both parties. Sam Yorty was the Democratic Mayor of LA in 1969 when he pulled a last minute dirty trick on Tom Bradley when Tom ran for mayor the 1st time.
Re: the February scenario, I have no doubt A Clinton/Obama admin. would respond 1st by military force, public opinion would demand it, IF the source of the attack could be determined with a high degree of certainity. The human family has finally devised a global guerrilla war tactic, like the now infamous IED device used to kill Amercian troops in Iraq, to which the source is difficult to trace.
BTW our forefathers used guerrilla war tactics on the British forces shooting from behind trees etc. "I say, veddy veddy un-gentlemanly!" You can see how that sapped the will of the red coats, so history, for us, has come full swing.
Maybe
Perhaps, but I'm not so sure that would be rational, as defined from a radical Islamic worldview.