Bush helps OBL

[Carolab]

"I think liberals trying to argue that this bin Laden tape won't help Bush are probably fooling themselves. Bush will be helped, it's pretty obvious that Bush will be helped, and OBL is certainly aware that this stunt will help Bush. This is because, of course, OBL likes Bush in office just fine. Not especially because of anything relating to Tora Bora, but because the Bush administration's policies have, at every turn, served bin Laden's agenda of increasingly unifying disaffected folks throughout the Islamic world around jihadist ideology while fragmenting the western powers. OBL is not an idiot. On the contrary, he's long ago emerged as the greatest propagandist and opinion-manipulator of the 21st century and he's trying to get what he wants."

http://yglesias.typepad.com/matthew /

The question is how to get that understood.

ANSWER: BUSH helps OBL!

[patrice]

1. Bush recruits for OBL.

Every time OBL can point at Bush and say to millions of Muslims, "See, I told you so. It's JIA (Jews, Israel and America) against Palestine" he becomes politically stronger in dozens of nations.

[earthside]

2. I don't know about that ...

Sure, the initial impulse might be that there will be sentiment for some undecideds to gravitate to Bush because the nation has been threatened by bin Laden again.

But if the Kerry campaign plays this deftly, we will all be reminded that bin Laden is still out there able to threaten us because Bush did not get him.

There could be a swing back a forth. There might be some sway to Bush, then as folks reflect on Osama's escape from justice, they may decide it really is time for someone new who will go after al Qaida seriously.

[JRicks_GA]

3. The fact that OBL is still alive and well

is enough reason to vote Bush out on November 2nd. I personally think that the video is more damning than an audio release from OBL. Speculation can be made to the authenticity of whether it really is OBL speaking in a audio message. Instead, we're presented with visual proof that OBL is alive and well and we're no closer to capturing or killing him than we were 3 years ago.

Bush is a monumental fuck-up for not pressing the search for OBL and diverting attention to a needless invasion of Iraq and we're no safer today than we were before September 11th 2001. I honestly do not see how someone can consider today's video of OBL to be a boost for Bush. Bush spoiled all the international goodwill we had after 9/11 by misleading us into a war with Iraq, when he should have "stayed the course" and got OBL.