Officials Worry of Pre-Election Attack

AP ^ | 3-15-04 | TERENCE HUNT

[Indy Pendance]

WASHINGTON - Even before the bombings in Madrid, White House officials were worrying that terrorists might strike the United States before the November elections.

Now, with the Socialists' surprise election victory in Spain, analysts believe the ballot box rebuke of one of President Bush (news - web sites)'s closest allies in the war in Iraq (news - web sites) could embolden terrorists to try the same tactics in the United States to create fear and chaos.

"That's an amazing impact of a terrorist event, to change the party in power," said Jerrold Post, a former CIA (news - web sites) profiler who directs the political psychology program at George Washington University.

"The implications of this are fairly staggering," agreed political psychologist Stanley Renshon of City University of New York. "This is the first time that a terrorist act has influenced a democratic election. This is a gigantic, loud wakeup call. There's no one they'd like to have out of office more than George W. Bush."

In political terms, the question is whether an attack would cause Americans to rally around Bush or blame him for the nation's vulnerabilities.

Bush has made the war on terrorism his trademark issue, spending tens of billions of dollars at home and abroad in the name of fighting terrorists. Polls show it's his strongest suit in his re-election battle against Democrat John Kerry.

Traditionally, in times of peril, Americans have supported their president. After Sept. 11, 2001, Bush soared in the polls. That standing has softened over time but still remains strong, reinforced by the fact that America has not been hit again.

"People are critical of Bush in lots of ways but they still give him pretty good grades for dealing with the war on terrorism," said pollster Andy Kohut.

If there were an attack, he said, "the traditional effect is a rally."

But Kohut and others say the rally effect could diminish, particularly if Americans doubted Bush's ability to protect them or thought the war on Iraq played any part. His anti-terrorism standing might be weakened by other factors, too, such as doubts about his handling of the economy, analysts say.

How the Democrats responded to a possible attack would figure in as well.

"It has been made a political issue already," said Columbia University political scientist Robert Shapiro. "It's no longer the attack out of nowhere like 9-11 was," he said. "There's a context for it that's very different."

Kerry has been probing for Bush weaknesses on the international front, accusing the president of alienating allies at a time when the United States needed them the most. Kerry claims that some foreign leaders have told him privately that they would prefer him in the White House. The administration shot back Monday that Kerry ought to name names of foreign leaders, suggesting it would mean he lied if he failed to produce.

The administration has made no attempt to hide its concern about another attack.

"We live in an age of terror, in which ruthless enemies seek to destroy not only our nation and not only to destroy all free nations but to destroy freedom as a way of life," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said last week. She spoke of "our worst nightmare" of attack by chemical, biological or nuclear weapons at the hands of terrorists.

Bush regularly talks about the threat in his stump speeches. In his State of the Union address, he said it was tempting to think, after more than two years, that the danger was behind Americans. "That hope is understandable, comforting and false," Bush said.

Brookings Institution political analyst Stephen Hess said issues such as terrorist attacks are troublesome for campaigns because they represent the unknown.

"Nothing bothers a politician or a strategist as much as trying to contemplate the unknown, trying to factor it in, what would happen."

[tubavil]

Now, with the Socialists' surprise election victory in Spain, analysts believe the ballot box rebuke of one of President Bush's closest allies in the war in Iraq could embolden terrorists to try the same tactics in the United States to create fear and chaos.
__________________

Which is why every American should have two eyes wide open and one hand on some steel.

[GrandMoM]

BUMP

[Euro-American Scum]

"This is the first time that a terrorist act has influenced a democratic election. This is a gigantic, loud wakeup call. There's no one they'd like to have out of office more than George W. Bush."

And if they do something similar in the U.S., it will mean a Bush landslide. They're not dealing with the Spaniards here.

[BurbankKarl]

I agree....large city voters may sit this one out. Darn.



>>>"The implications of this are fairly staggering," agreed political psychologist Stanley Renshon of City University of New York.

[tubavil]

Officials Worry of Pre-Election Attack
___________________

You mean when the face of islam re-appears?

[anymouse]

I know it is easy to blame the Spanish people for falling for the SpanComm's propaganda blaming the Spanish government, but remember they were still in the early stages of grief. Remember that it took days after Sept. 11, 2001 before the American public got ahold of our emotions.

The timing of the train bombing and the SpanComm's deft spin of the public's emotional rage points to the clear fact that the SpanComms clearly had advanced knowledge of the bombings in order to be prepared to exploit them so easily.

Of course the Spanish government didn't help itself when it knee-jerk blamed the ETA, even when evidence started pointing to al Queda. And who was the bone-head that urged the Spanish public to mass protest? After something like this happens chaos doesn't favor authority, rather it aids those working against it.

[staytrue]

could embolden terrorists to try the same tactics in the United States

Not only terrorists, but domestic left wing wackos who want GWB out, could try to blow stuff up and then send a letter claiming it was al queda when it was really elf, sierra club member, deaniac, homeless advocate, peta, now sympathizer, abortion rights advocate, etc.

[rikkir]

"Election day is in the Constitution. Unchangable."

Huh?
Last time I checked so were the 1st and 2nd ammendments, and they've been mutilated beyond the point of recognition.
Gen. Tommy Franks wrote an editorial a few months ago that said he didn't think the Constitution would survive a WMD strike against the US. I agree with him, which is why I think this may be the most important election in American history. President Bush must win.

[olde north church]

It's not the possibility of a another terrorist attack on the United States between now and Election Day that concerns me, it's the magnitude of those which will occur afterwards if Senator Kerry is elected.

[AnimalLover]

Bump

[XHogPilot]

"Wonder if Washington is thinking about conditions that might be justified to automatically postpone an election?"

I can't believe you could state this so callously.

I don't see this as a flippant or callous question. In fact, given the remote possibility of Al Queda's possession of WMD, I hope our government does have such a plan!

[metesky]

Get hold of yourself, Ernest.
:O)

We haven't cancelled elections yet, including 1864 when a Confederate Army was camped about forty miles from D.C.

[metesky]

It's not the possibility of a another terrorist attack on the United States between now and Election Day that concerns me, it's the magnitude of those which will occur afterwards if Senator Kerry is elected.

Believe me, Kerry is such a coward that if an attack of any magnitude took place on his watch (please no, oh Lord!) he would go nuclear just to prove he had sack.

Now that is scary.

[texasflower]

I agree with you.

[texasflower]

The elections should have been postponed in Spain. Those people were in too much pain to make really good choices.

[archy]

There's no one they'd like to have out of office more than George W. Bush.

Volumes could not say more.

Only because Reagan is already out of office now.

[archy]

Thanks, Spain! Due to your cowardice, every democracy must anticipate slaughter of their civilians before each election. Way to let 200 of your countrymen die in vain.

Don't give up on Spain and the Spaniards just yet. Granted, they'll likely have reason to regret their recent political reflex, but after having given the world eight years of Clinton, we're hardly in a position to criticize them.

Tue Mar 16, 7:40 AM ET

Railway workers remove debris from the wreckage of a bombed train in Madrid, March 12, 2004. Spanish police believe they have identified six Moroccan Muslim militants who carried out the train bombings that killed 200 and helped propel the opposition Socialists into power, media reported on March 16. With Sunday's shock election result heralding the end of Spanish government support for the occupation of Iraq, Spanish newspapers and radio said one of the Moroccans might have links to last May's Casablanca suicide bombings that killed 45 people.

(Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

[petitfour]

In debates, it would be wise of both candidates to tell us what they will do if America is attacked again. Let's see if Mr. Kerry will duck under the table or high tail outta Iraq and Afghanistan. This administration has made it perfectly clear that they believe the threat of terrorism has not gone away, but their work is on minimizing the threat. Realistically, there are many, many, many ways for a terrorist group to inflict mass casualties without being detected.

The greatest asset for God-fearing people in a time of war is God. "Seek the Lord and live."

[texasflower]

Here are two comments from the BBC website:

People from America and from over thirty countries that are working together with the Iraqi people to bring peace to their land. Forgive us

José Luis, Madrid (Spain)


Spain has only known democracy since 1975 and many Spaniards still don't understand what it means - that whilst it grants privileges it also demands responsibility.

They don't realise that if you give in to the bully, the bully will simply increase his demands.

Yesterday was a disaster for Spanish democracy, and I am deeply saddened.

It seems that Zapatero's "systematic fight against terrorism of all kinds" means surrendering in the first round.

Ed Wilcox, Malaga Spain

[texasflower]

Your tagline is hysterical!