Though the administration has declined to raise the terror alert level, the very public nature of the Yemen bomb plot is seen as giving President Obama and incumbent Congressional Democrats a much-needed political shot in the arm, conveniently enough just days before the midterm elections.
The plot gave an opportunity for President Obama to look “presidential,” experts say, as he gave a high profile speech vowing “any steps necessary” to see al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate destroyed.
The fact that by all accounts no explosives appear to have actually gotten to the United States also likely plays to the administration’s advantage, and indeed the advantage of all incumbents, who can claim that the “system worked” in this regard even as they promise major new foreign policy ventures in retaliation.
Though former Bush-era offical Gordon Johndroe insisted that these attacks can “cut either way” politically right before the election, the recent history in the US and abroad suggests that they have pretty much universally favored the incumbent, and while this particularly incident appears much larger, it does not appear to be any different in that regard.
Recent polls had showed Democrats taking big hits in the upcoming Midterm election, and President Obama’s campaigning doing very little to help. The consequences of a shift in the popular interest away from the economy and onto hawkish rhetoric about revenge attacks against al-Qaeda at the last minute could be significant, and might well mean that the massive losses the incumbents were facing will no longer apply.
Never thought he would stoop this low. Sounds like Pres. Obama is up to ret. Pres. Bush's old tricks. This does not pass the stupid test. I'm just waiting for the news as to who really (like some CIA) planted that joke of a bomb, or I guess we are invading Yemen now.
It's Deja-Vu all over again.
Oh so very convenient.
Bet this won't help the democrats at all…
"The plot gave an opportunity for President Obama to look “presidential," – ROFL well thank God something allowed him to look presidential.
Jobs Jobs Jobs – are the top three topics and TWOT is way down the list. In fact War in general is not much of an issue at all.
A gulf of tonkin-like set up?
"False Flag" operations are an American institution. Most if not all war is started through the use of propaganda, the demonization of a "boogey-man" and or media sensationalism. For example: See "Day of Decit" Wm. Stennet, exposes the US plan to instigate war with Japan. Whatever war is revisited, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and or Afghanistan, one will find dubious claims and justifications for waging war.
Bush played the terrorist card very successfully against Kerry. I have no doubt that there are terrorist in the world but some things really stink like why would you send two jet fighters out to attack a plane with a bomb on it? I also noticed that they closed the manhattan bridge. Did they feel that somehow that jet plane was going to drop the bomb on the bridge and needed to protect the toll collectors? HOw about the usual tears from the professional victims? Today I heard that there are 600 terrorist in the little country so our million man army should shake in fear. This is clearly an election stunt.
In the age of the profligate absentee and the early voting – I voted in September – I wonder how much of a boost this might give incumbents. Surely won't affect my vote.
Or mine. I refuse to besmirch my "soul" by supporting these war-mongers.
Too convenient.
Why everybody sooooo naieve by thinking Obama's administration behind this stunt to boost the dems. Same was said before during the Bush administration. Don't they (Dems & Repubs) work for the same bosses. Of course they want to scare the dumbasses sheeple in the US who follow blindly..Read their comment on the first article which is full of hatered against Muslims. They are about to open another front in Yemen using their patsy (Al-Qaeda) as an excuse to expand their muscles. Of course Yemen got oil like Iraq and Afghanistan got the opium and natural gas pluss more natural resources worth over trillion $$$$.
I don't get it. Why follow the Emirates plane with F-15s? Are they afraid that a team of terrorists will pop out of a 10" x 12" cardboard box and start a hijacking?
If there was that much danger, why let the plane get anywhere near NYC? Why not have it land at Halifax or Portsmouth or something, and keep it there until the cargo is inspected?
And this all sure is a surprise, here in October. On the Friday before a big important election and all.
This story is damn odd.
Rofl, Affiliates everywhere now! It's a complete comic book. No one with an IQ over 100 thinks CIAduh actually exists.
Yeah, no doubt it was about time to scare the shiite outta the sheeple….gettim runnin to their gummit masters fer protection right before the election….
The day this whole 'plot' hit the news I said it was a false-flag operation from first to last, and a conveniently-timed bit of pre-election political theater. So far I've nothing to convince me otherwise. This whole thing is so full of fail I don't even know where to begin.