Why did Obama refer to Bin Laden's "cave" in his acceptance speech?..

[Virginia Dare]

I find it hard to believe that he actually thinks OBL lives in a cave. Was it just a figure of speech? Was he dumbing it down for the rest of America? I have to admit, I had a WTF moment when I heard him say it. Any theories?

text"

For -- for while -- while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats that we face.

When John McCain said we could just muddle through in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights.

You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/us/politics/28text-obama.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1

[DS1]

1. I know. It's so terrible.

Whatever will we do?

[Virginia Dare]

2. You don't need to "do" anything..

I just wondered if anybody had any comments as to why he continues this narrative.

[Dover]

22. /dupe/

\

[dbonds]

3. The national narative is he is living in a cave.

To say other than that might violate security clearances. If he said follow him to his 3 bedroom house is south Pakistan, then OBL would get up and move (assuming OBL is still alive).

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. It's very likely that he is in someplace like that.

[arcadian]

15. Just curious, what are you basing that on?

A hunch? Your gut?

[Muttocracy]

5. partly figure of speech, partly reference to the topography of the Afgh-Pak border?

Which is mountainous, does have caves, etc.?

[stray cat]

6. A fortified cave with escape routes is probably accurate

[Virginia Dare]

9. I just don't buy that..

he's obviously under somebody's protection, but I doubt it's in a cave, maybe in the very beginning he was, but not for all these years. Assuming he's still alive.

[CJCRANE]

7. OBL was in a cave at Tora Bora

according to the last official sighting.

[Virginia Dare]

8. That was years ago though right?

maybe he wants to refer back to when we actually could have gotten him and didn't.

[CJCRANE]

11. I assume that's what he meant.

Seems to key in with what Kerry mentioned in one of the '04 presidential debates.

[Virginia Dare]

19. It's an interesting choice of words, especially in calling McCain out..

something tells me there was some sort of veiled reference there, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[TahitiNut]

10. Well... if it were a log cabin then he'd be Abraham Lincoln.

:shrug:

[wryter2000]

12. An insult to cave dwellers everywhere

Geico calls foul!

[Virginia Dare]

18. Fred and Barney are pissed!...n/t

[Contrary1]

13. McCain talks down to his fans...

I guess the term "dumb down" could be applied.

I mean, how many of his supporters actually believe he has a fail proof plan that will ferret out Bin Ladin?

Or, maybe they are just too ignorant to realize that if McCain does have such a plan, and will only divulge
it if elected, makes him personally responsible for countless numbers of troop causalities.

Hell, McCain's even too ignorant to think that one through.:eyes:

[stillcool]

14. I was under the impression..

that it was bin Landen's last know address. I think I remember reading that caves in that part of the world are not how I would picture them, or was that an Indiana Jones movie?

[arcadian]

16. I'm really surprised.

That people don't realize that politicians talk like politicians when they are running for President.

[bobbert]

17. You need lots of money to build a house in a cave

[Pastiche423]

20. Because he wants to continue the myth?

[Virginia Dare]

21. I think you're onto something...

any theories as to why? Is this a set up for the repub criminal liars? I've got my fingers crossed.

[Pastiche423]

25. I do not think it is a set up

It's what "politicians" do. Rule #1 - Do not question the establishment's tale of bullshit.

[Dover]

23. Biden referenced bin Laden too, in his DNC speech.

Talked about going after bin Laden.

I was insulted and disappointed that this narrative continues to be used by those who
say they bring 'change'. How can things change if they're based on falsehoods?

I think they are preparing us for a resurgence of activity in Afghanistan.
And as far as I can remember we are IN Afghanistan (according to this flimsy narrative)
to get bin Laden. Of course that is NOT why we are there, nor is there any good
reason for us to be there except for the obvious purpose of securing that region for
oil/gas recovery and shipments, and to access Iran. Of course we rarely hear that
narrative unless we read the business page or oil/gas websites.




During the Soviets' decade-long occupation of Afghanistan, Moscow estimated Afghanistan's proven and probable natural gas reserves at around five trillion cubic feet. In the mid-1970s, production reached 275 million cubic feet per day.

But Afghanistan's significance to the balance of energy and power in Central Asia stems from its geographical position as a potential transit route for oil and natural gas exports from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea.

In January 1998, an agreement was signed between Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and the Taliban to arrange funding for a proposed 890-mile, US$2 billion natural gas pipeline project. The proposed pipeline would have transported natural gas from Turkmenistan's Dauletabad natural gas field to Pakistan, and most likely would have run from Dauletabad south to the Afghan border, through Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan, to Quetta, Pakistan. The line would then have linked with Pakistan's natural gas grid at Sui. U.S. oil company Unocal was to finance the bulk of the project. As it happened, Unocal pulled-out of the deal, citing political instability in Afghanistan.

In addition to the gas pipeline, Unocal also had considered building a 1,000-mile oil pipeline that would link Chardzou, Turkmenistan with Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast via Afghanistan.

Currently, a pipeline brings natural gas from Uzbekistan to Bagram and another brings natural gas to Shindand.

http://www.worldpress.org/specials/pp/afghan.htm

----

Current pipeline routes and geo politics surrounding Afghanistan
http://www.newhumanist.com/oil.html

[H2O Man]

24. I suspect that

he said that to communicate a specific message to the vast majority of Americans. This would seem the best option for communicating that message, rather than to speculate where else Usama bin Laden might be.