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Impact Of Tape On Race Is Uncertain
Washington Post ^ | October 30, 2004 | Dana Milbank with Charles Babington and Jim VandeHei and political researcher Brian Faler

Posted on 10/29/2004 11:22:20 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Clearly, the bin Laden cameo in the 2004 presidential race has the potential to cut both ways. Weighing in Bush's favor is that Americans have typically rallied around the president when they have felt threatened, and bin Laden's tape is menacing. Also, the fact that bin Laden was making his presence known through a videotape rather than through a Madrid-style attack could be seen as evidence that Bush had done his job of protecting the public.

.....This time, it was Kerry's side urging television networks to be cautious in playing the tape.

"If you've got Osama back on the scene talking about 9/11 but not making an attack, it could be the best of both worlds" for Bush, said Republican strategist Jeff Bell. "It's good for Bush, the fact that [bin Laden] hasn't been able to attack, except for verbally."

Kerry aides appeared visibly alarmed aboard the candidate's plane as they planned a response to the tape's airing. One prominent Democrat speculated that for swing voters who have not followed the election closely, bin Laden's reappearance may well boost Bush.

.... the bin Laden appearance may reinforce some of Kerry's arguments. Bin Laden practically quoted Kerry when he said "Bush is still deceiving you and hiding the truth from you," and he seemed to be familiar with the liberal filmmaker Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" and its mockery of Bush for reading "My Pet Goat" with children while the World Trade Center towers burned....

....Mike McCurry appeared unusually somber as he told reporters that the candidate would proceed with the campaign as if the tape had not appeared. "It's very important for us to move forward. ...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911; binladen; bush; election; kerry; nationaldefense; nationalsecurity; tape; terrorism; wot
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To: Nasher

It also may have the effect of keeping Kerry voters home.


41 posted on 10/29/2004 11:54:32 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
That must have been quite a strain on your otherwise excellent brain. You're a better woman than I,Cincinatus' Wife,my old friend...I don't think that I can manage to disengage my brains like that. But,I think that you're right...deep down,everyone knows that President Bush is the ONLY one who WILL keep America safe.
42 posted on 10/29/2004 11:55:36 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: midftfan
Spin all you want Dems, but this is the end of Kerry's White House bid.


43 posted on 10/29/2004 11:56:13 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: nopardons

Ha ha ha....

Well, it hit me in the gut so I just imagined what it did for the "undecideds" and soft Kerry supporters.


44 posted on 10/29/2004 11:58:26 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; All

I'd like to throw up this possibility.

Everyone in America (except many Dems) are security conscious.

But doesn't the sudden appearance of OBL validate Kerry's claim that the war in Iraq was an un-necessary diversion away from the hunt for OBL?

I wondering if the appearance of OBL might make some voters re-think voting for Bush.

Just a possibility I'm throwing out...

Opinions anyone?




45 posted on 10/30/2004 12:04:20 AM PDT by MplsSteve
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The best thing of all would be, however, a dead Osama served up sometime this weekend....I can dream and pray....


46 posted on 10/30/2004 12:09:18 AM PDT by LegalEagle61
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Oh,I see.

I didn't react emotionaly,but logically and so I laughed at OBL using Michael Moore's script.The tape is pathetic and OBL comes off looking like a puppet,mouthing words not his own.

47 posted on 10/30/2004 12:10:54 AM PDT by nopardons
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Clearly, the bin Laden cameo in the 2004 presidential race has the potential to cut both ways.

Yeah...clearly. Too bad - with flippy's multiple positions on everything - both of those ways are against him.

48 posted on 10/30/2004 12:11:49 AM PDT by franklog
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To: ohCompGk
"most of us Americans will react like a Texan, roundhouse to the chin... "
49 posted on 10/30/2004 12:12:33 AM PDT by traumer
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The wolves are at the door again, Mr. Kerry.

Now wacha gonna do?


50 posted on 10/30/2004 12:13:07 AM PDT by RGT (We are a tribe of pygmies. You are a women's track team.)
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To: endthematrix
More evidence of Cronkite's critical "thinking:"
KING: A huge turnout?

CRONKITE: Oh, yes, I do. I think so. The only thing that could damage the turnout would be the threats that might be implied, as many of the new registrees are challenged as to their various things. Their spelling of their name and the state where they really come from, whether they're immigrants or not, do they have passports, all that kind of thing. If they are challenged at the polls, as they line up to go into the polls, they may fear having to answer all those questions. Particularly if they do have anything wrong about them and shouldn't vote.


51 posted on 10/30/2004 12:14:10 AM PDT by D-fendr (They can't steal it if it isn't close.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I agree...my first thought.

How does one spin a tacit endorsement from OBL?

OBL is scared of Bush...of that there is no doubt.

Otherwise, instead of this tape crap, he'd be doing a Spain atrocity.

Course...he will in good time I fear.

We are going to have to kill a lot more of the religion of pieces than we yet realize or are willing to accept.

Beslan demonstrated that all too well.


52 posted on 10/30/2004 12:14:42 AM PDT by wardaddy (The only thing we share with collectivists and ragheads is death.)
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To: MplsSteve

I would disagree, Steve. This because of OBL's mindset of the Islamic nation or ummah, as well as Saddam's connections with Jihad training programs at Salman Pak, his known WMD programs, and his support of the Palestinian suicide bombers. These four points are perhaps the most salient in the totality of regional, cultural, historical, clannish, and religious interconnections of the terrorist threat.

We should remember President Jefferson and the "Barbary Pirates" of the Islamic Caliphate, the atrocities of the pre-Crusade Jihads, and the Islamo-Nazi connections. Behold: this war is bigger than OBL.


53 posted on 10/30/2004 12:15:57 AM PDT by Unknowing (Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.)
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To: LegalEagle61

That thought crossed my mind.

I envisioned bin Laden's head on a pike.


54 posted on 10/30/2004 12:16:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: D-fendr
How will women voters react ?
55 posted on 10/30/2004 12:17:13 AM PDT by traumer
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For Cronkite, the danger to high turnout is that illegal voters may feel intimidated - by the threat of being caught.

Now that fits in perfectly with the democrat GOTV strategy.

56 posted on 10/30/2004 12:18:19 AM PDT by D-fendr (They can't steal it if it isn't close.)
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To: traumer; RGT; wardaddy; All
Justice is coming.


57 posted on 10/30/2004 12:19:37 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: traumer

Nice.


58 posted on 10/30/2004 12:20:12 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Texasforever

LOL!!!


59 posted on 10/30/2004 12:20:25 AM PDT by Barlowmaker
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To: nopardons

"But doesn't the sudden appearance of OBL validate Kerry's claim that the war in Iraq was an un-necessary diversion away from the hunt for OBL? "

No way! 75% of al quaeda is in jail now because of the invasion of Iraq! Plus that loser saddam is rotting in jail. I think there were definitely WMD's and they were moved before we got there, anyone that believes they were not there needs their brain examined.


60 posted on 10/30/2004 12:20:35 AM PDT by LegalEagle61
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