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Since Spain has essentially surrendered in the WOT, these questions MUST be asked:
3/15/04 | Self

Posted on 03/15/2004 5:51:06 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants

The terrorists have learned an important new lesson: If you bomb a nation teetering on socialism, you can push them over the edge as people seek the promise of safety instead of taking arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them.

This begs the following questions:

1. Does this lesson increase the likelyhood that terrorists will attack the United States in the weeks immediately before the election in hopes of pulling another victory over democracy like they did in Spain?

2. If there was a successful terrorist attack in the U.S. a week or so before the elctions, how would the 15% or so of "wobbly" voters, who basically decide every election, respond? Would they turtle and withdraw into their shells and vote for Kerry or would they pour their support to Bush to show the terrorists that they will not be cowed?


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bush; elections; kerry; madrid; madridbombings; raillinebombings; spain; spanishterrorism; terrorism; terroristbombings; terrorists; waronterror
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To: Blood of Tyrants
No, not Kohl! He was a Christian Democrat (conservative) and has been out of power since the 1990's. your thinking of Gerhard Schroeder, the Socialist Chancellor of Germany.
21 posted on 03/15/2004 6:04:25 AM PST by Alas Babylon!
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To: hellinahandcart
"If we follow Spain's lead, we are not doomed, we are damned"

Damn- can I use that as my tag line now? That is a phrase that needs to be repeated as often as possible.
22 posted on 03/15/2004 6:04:55 AM PST by brothers4thID
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To: PISANO
as I believe the best in Europe immigrated here long ago.

upon hearing the election results yesterday, my husband said this is so typical of Europe - they know we won't run from the good fight - so they let us do it, and turn their heads hoping to escape from the harsh responsibility that comes with freedoms.

23 posted on 03/15/2004 6:05:09 AM PST by SunnyUsa
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To: brothers4thID
feel free...
24 posted on 03/15/2004 6:06:09 AM PST by hellinahandcart
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To: Blood of Tyrants
I think you have skipped a step, because I don't think AQ goes right from Spain to the U.S.

3) Can we expect other election-influencing bombings in Europe [yes] and can we expect similar reactions there [yes]?

But I do think they will try something here, and it will have an impact. There is a guy at work---very highly skilled computer graphics genius, but not well-educated overall---who thinks that 9/11 was something that was "manipulated." There are WAY too many people like him out there.

25 posted on 03/15/2004 6:06:56 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrack of news.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Depends. If a serious terror attack occurs between now and early summer, it'll be quite bad for Bush. He'll have to explain why the Dept. of Homeland Security, TSA, Patriot Act and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan weren't able to prevent them. If its right before election day, there will be a rally around the flag type of sentiment.
26 posted on 03/15/2004 6:07:19 AM PST by KantianBurke (Arguments that got Arnold elected in 02, will get a "moderate" RINO elected to the White House in 08)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
as for #1, I worry about that too. One difference is that 90% of Spaniards were apparently opposed to the invasion of Iraq, in contrast to the support it had here.

On the other hand, the support of the Iraq war is (thanks to the media) considerably lower than it should be.

As for the "undecideds"... I really don't know. The support Kerry appears to have is really discouraging. Too many people choose ignorance.
27 posted on 03/15/2004 6:10:10 AM PST by proud American in Canada
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Spaniards are coward!
28 posted on 03/15/2004 6:12:15 AM PST by Reader of news
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To: Blood of Tyrants
I would think that Kerry saying that terrorism isn't a threat would really bite him if there were a terrorist attack.
29 posted on 03/15/2004 6:12:31 AM PST by WV Mountain Mama (Card carrying member of the Republican Attack Machine.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
My $.02:

I think that our situation and Spains is a bit different, in that we were attacked by Al Qaeda on our own soil, THEN began the War on Terror.
Spain joined the war first, THEN got attacked (by Al Qaeda, that is, the ETA problem had been around for years).

If we get bombed before the election I think it's more likely to push the country back to Bush, rather than away since the war was our response to being attacked not the other way around.

What I am disappointed about most with Spain is that they caved to a blatant attempt to manipulate their gov't. I would've hoped that even those opposed to the Iraq war would've recognized the bombing for what it was and said "F-- you, you can't influence our elections" and voted against the socialists for that reason alone

LQ
30 posted on 03/15/2004 6:12:47 AM PST by LizardQueen
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To: hellinahandcart
"I look at the liberals surrounding me here, all ready to piss everything away in order to get rid of Bush, and I realize I don't know the answer to your question anymore."

It's frightening, isn't it? I look at people like my sister--Gore voter--who had no idea the Madrid bombing had even happened ("We never watch the news")--that kind of wilfull ignorance and complacency is our greatest threat.
31 posted on 03/15/2004 6:16:49 AM PST by proud American in Canada
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To: Blood of Tyrants
"I believe that the Spaniards action to pick a PM that will run instead of fight emboldens the terrorists and makes the world and especially the United States less safe."

I bet rather than confronting the United States directly they go after our coalition partners first.
Italy, Australia, and Great Britain in that order.
32 posted on 03/15/2004 6:16:58 AM PST by ncphinsfan
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To: SunnyUsa
Speaking of "knee jerk", the terrorists may have "wasted" their only chance of influencing election on a small country that cannot effectively project power like we can.

This attack allows Americans to look inside themselves and steel their hearts and prepare for the worst and have the RIGHT response ready, the overwhelmong re-election of George W. Bush.
33 posted on 03/15/2004 6:17:41 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: proud American in Canada
wilfull = willful :)
34 posted on 03/15/2004 6:17:47 AM PST by proud American in Canada
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Another question...

If there is no connection between Al Qaeda and Iraq,

why are the Spanish so anxious to appease Al Qaeda by getting out of Iraq?

From the way the Spanish voted----It seems apparent that the Europeans actually do know there is an Al Qaeda - Iraq connection.

35 posted on 03/15/2004 6:17:58 AM PST by syriacus (Kerry -- still an adolescent after all these years. Stuck in the "I hate adults" stage.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
The Spaniars just painted a big bullseye on every european city.

Ironic since it was spain that sponsored much of the exploration of the new world. Now the turn isolationist.

Spain has successfully given terrorst further reason to keep bombing. At every meeting where the terrists plan, they will whisper remember madrid. "If we attack the weak they will respond."

The spanish must now ask themselves, will the US protect them from the Islamists when they retake Spain?

36 posted on 03/15/2004 6:19:53 AM PST by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: Alas Babylon!
I should have looked it up.
37 posted on 03/15/2004 6:20:58 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
I am sure the terrorists will be emboldened by what happened in Spain but the same dynamics work just the opposite in America. Fly planes into our buildings and we don't walk out of the buildings holding signs up for Osama. Our people came out of those buildings telling President Bush "Don't let us Down!" That is why we are the greatest nation on the face of the earth. If we are attacked around election time, President Bush wins in a landslide.
38 posted on 03/15/2004 6:21:25 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather
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To: boxerblues
I got to hear Darrel Worley sing that song at a pro-USA rally in Nashville in late Feb, 2003 just before the overthrow of Saddam. The people who attended that rally won't be among the "wobbly".
39 posted on 03/15/2004 6:23:48 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: KantianBurke
He will also have to explain to conservatives why he hasn't done a better job of controlling the borders, too.
40 posted on 03/15/2004 6:26:10 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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