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Subscribe to RSSIf you follow American politics, you know it can change in a blink of an eye.
In the last few weeks, as gasoline prices have continued to climb in the United States, President Obama has seen his poll numbers decline, suggesting a potential vulnerability in 2012.
But the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed -- on Obama's watch -- is most definitely a political game-changer and appears destined to impact the contours of the 2012 presidential race, as well as the emerging Republican field. Of course, the size of the impact is yet unknown and will be played out in the months ahead, especially with U.S. unemployment near 9%. The 2012 general election, after all, is more than 550 days away.
As NBC's Chuck Todd also mentioned, it could have an impact on the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan-Pakistan. Does it make the U.S. re-evaluate the mission there? Does it affect the troop draw-down that's scheduled to begin this summer?
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Congradulations goes to President Barrack Hussein Obama, THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF ALL UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES, for this victory in KILLING this vile terrorist. Also much pride goes to the MEN and WOMEN of OUR SPECIAL FORCES for doing an OUTSTANDING JOB!!!! SEPER FI DO OR DIE!!!
Hey Blue you might as well give congratulations to Bush as well. I mean if that hack didn't start the war looking for him in Afghanistan/Pakistan, Obama wouldn't be getting all this fake praise from liberals as he is now. I will say one thing for sure and that's thanks to the troops for fighting in those hellholes for so long.
The DEM's got balls and the GOP got TEANUTS.
I hate DLD's
Bush concentrated all of his efforts in Iraq. It was this President that drew down forces in Iraq, and ramped up forces in Afghanistan. Under this Presidents watch unmanned drones started bombing the crap out of Pakistan. This President who nominated a new head of the CIA. This President who commanded Leon Panetta to look for Osama. This is the President who after he felt they had enough intelligence to go forward, ordered the special ops to go in and take him down dead or alive.
You got nothin'. You can thank Bush for getting us caught up in two wars, only one that was actually necessary. Ask yourself why, if Al-Quaeda and the Taliban were in Afghanistan and Pakistan, did President Bush spend so much time energy ad money focused on Iraq? We know now that he lied to the American public, and Congress, and that Saddam never had WMD's, and Bush drove our economy into the ground in the process.
You will find little sympathy from rational people. Only your fellow wing nuts. The blind leading the blind. Hope you weren't counting on Medi-care by the way. It wasn't the Democrats and Obama interested in cutting the Program. Turns out it was the Republicans all along. Wake up!
I see the yeahbut birds are squawking from the right. How predictable.
I love it. The "yeahbuts" Classic :)
Lestweforget
Both Bush and Obama had a hand in bringing down bin Laden. However, Obama brought forth the "Obamacare." You probably don't have children that cannot get health insurance, have someone in your family that can't get insurance because of prior conditions, or you don't have someone in your family that just got droped because their condition was "experimental." I just hope you dont fall into this group since you consider "Obamacare" such a "white elephant." Thanks for your consideration of all Americans that just might fall into this group. You just don't care. Only for yourself. God bless you.
This is a definate game changer because NOW the GOP really has to do some serious culling of the herd to see who will go toe to toe with President Obama in 2012. This was not something the GOP wanted to happen; ESPECIALLY on President Obama's Watch; because when you chain ALONG with the destructive policies that the GOP have enacted on at the Local, State and Federal Level, the tide and wind that they had in 2010 has been irreversibly lost to the Democrats in this coming election cycle.
There are other factors to consider:
For instance, how the stock market will react to this news in the coming months is going to be another gauge on how vast this game change will be.
Should unemployment come down drastically between now and 2012 will be another indicator.
The upcoming recall elections in Wisconsin WILL GREATLY be affected by this turn of events.
If NATO AND/Or the rebels gets Qhadaffi HIMSELF, OR if he abdicates his rule in Libya also has political implications.
The news of Osama Bin Laden's demise will have some shocking affects on Big Oil and their speculators, and if oil prices and fuel prices start a dramatic fall, GAME OVER, BABY!!!
The next 24 hours will be crucial, because that will tell us how much of a change President Obama's approval rating will go up, and how long he cam maintain it; and now that Bin Laden is the next course on the worm buffet, should he offer orders to his Commanders in Afghanistan to draw up with a plan to bring our troops home safely, then the fat lady has a singning engagement at Obama'a re-election party.
Should the Democrats decide to go on the offensive and commence to hammer away at the GOP's Talking Points, and the GOP starts losing support in key states, look for a devestating shift in power between now and 2012.
You know what, I'm not a Obama supporter, but I say he's deserves to win the next election. Did he buy it, hell yea, was it worth it, you bet it was!
This operation would not have been possible without the intelligence gathered during the
Bush administration, namely the identity of the courier involved. Only MSNBC would try
give the credit to Obama...., what a spin.
Just a FYI, the intelligence on the two couriers that ended up leading to bin Laden started not in President Bush's term, but before even that. The problem was that until much more recently all that we had were aliases of the couriers, not their real names. Credit goes partially to Bush and Obama, but mainly to the men and women of the intelligence services and to the men of the SF fire team that ultimately fired the shot that ended his life.
It will be a REAL gamechanger if they can't produce photos of the presumed dead terrorist king.
No pics will be even worse for Obama than the questionable birth issue, and might even raise skepticism about the validy of the finally-produced "birth certificate".
All you gotta do is show something valid...no show, no go...
Or maybe the American people are just THAT gullible and truly deserve the scorn of their leadership?
Once again, who cares when the intelligence was gathered or who enacted what! Geez, people just can't accept feeling good about something without being biased.
Most of the world hates certain dictators and you guys have to argue about who takes credit for when the person is ousted?
If you know so much and know how to fix things, then do it yourself, otherwise shut the H up!
Steve, if you can't spell, you can't think. And obviously everything coming out of your mouth is garbage.
As well it should, FR. The administration showed they can pull off the big one, without a peep to the press in all that time.
The POTUS showed he was willing and able to make the tough decision; this thing could have gone wrong in a hundred different ways, and the President would have shouldered all the blame. Now that it has gone right, he will get some of the credit, maybe.
Takes major courage to make a decision where the risks outweigh the rewards by such a large margin.
Might as well post this here, too. Seems pertinent:
http://images2.dailykos.com/i/user/8411/Obama_got_bin_Laden.jpg
Here's another good one.
tinyurl.com/3femkzu
(copy and paste in browser. For some reason my links aren't showing up!)
What is wrong with you people? Both of you (liberals and conservatives) fight like children over the remote while all around you the house burns to the ground. This is a night to celebrate, not because some evil man is dead, but because we struck a blow against people who think it's OK to kill thousands of innocents to prove some misguided political cause. We are American, damn it! We are not conservatives. We are not liberals. We should be proud of our president even if we disagree with him, because tonight HE IS America! Damn it people stop acting like children and grow up!
Sadly, you are wrong. We aren't Americans any longer. We are democrats and republicans first.
For oh so many many legitimate reasons, i will do my darndest to make sure Mr. Obama does not "win" the election in 2012. HOWEVER, I agree with many posters, for once his pre-election rhetoric was actually put into effect. HE did go out on a limb and pledge to get Osama Bin Laden; HE did increase our presence in Afghanistan. He did tell the Pakistanis to get on board and that we will go into their country in "hot pursuit". And while it was our military that completed the task, Mr. Obama did sit at the Commander in Chief's position when the decision was made to strike. It was a huge political gamble and I do give him credit for putting his neck out to make that authorization. So tonight i say -- I give you credit Mr. Obama for your leadership in this achievement. It IS worthy of praise, even from those of us who do not believe you belong in the office of President.
A case could be made that the President had no knowledge of what was happening up until the final moments before the attack -- an attack obviously designed under President Bush holdover Robert Gates. To revamp the entire national security team during the same week our operatives were closing in on Usama does not make sense. No, it wasn't a ploy to throw Al Qaeda off guard. Much of the credit of this operation has to go the Gates and the rest under him for carrying out a flawless operation.
Also, the Pakistani government and operatives had to know where Usama was. A huge compound outside of the capitol and very near a police training station and they had no knowledge of his location. Don't think so. It is time to stop aid to Pakistan and the rest of the Middle East.
"Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
So it is Bush who should take the victory lap?
Good thinking.
Yes Bush get the credit, cause Obama is always saying it's Bush's fault, so it's Bush's fault that Obama was kept out of the loop, Thank God, or we never would have gotten his brother Osama Ben. Yes another Obama down, or is it Osama down it's so close in names can we really know the difference???
Wait - Bush said it was "mission accomplished" when Saddam's regime went bust. Seems to me like he thought he was finished.
Oh and Obama announced that there would be a new national security team. They have not yet started their new positions. I applaud you for your effort to find flaws and remove credit from this Administration, but you over thunk it. The simplest answer is generally the most likely and plausible. You are venturing into conspiracy theory land, here.
But I do believe you are right about Pakistan Gov. knowing where OBL was all along. This is a question on everybody's mind. However as for cutting ties with them and stopping funding, I think the smart thing to do would be to continue like normal. You know the old saying, keep your friends close, your enemies closer. The world community needs to find a way to remove their access or limit their capability to use their nuclear weapons. Clearly they are a loose cannon.
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The TEANUTS are upset by this because President Obama did a good job doing what he said he was going to do.
Osama dead, that changes nothing for the loser Obama his brother. One down one more to go. Vote Obama out before we have to get our yes our military to hunt him out. He'll hide in Chicago, where illegal rule and our own people and Teen don't have jobs. Obama is just as bad as Osama (his brother hood leader). Look what Obama is doing in Libya....killing everyone saying he is protecting citizens...joke, joke, joke. Mr. Q is winning, it's their civil war we need to be gone. Obama is destroying us in America....Again one down one more to go...
You are a perfect example of why America is going to sh1t.
Penn - in my book you are a traitor to this country.
The Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech. As SP illustrates, the doesn't mean everyone will use that freedom by providing any intelligent comments.
Bush couldn't get Bin laden in 8 years...Obama got him in less than 2 years. Bush was and is an idiot.
Obama used Bush's pick Gates, you need to back peddle. Thank Heaven for Bush, cause Obama is just destroying us more and more. Obama knew nothing or else he would have called his brother Osama and said, we are coming Run, Run, Run. And take your birth certificate with you Osama...ha ha ha vote Obama out he isn't a leader he's a clown and a joker...
Sas, with all due respect, you area complete a-hole.
this demonstrates once and for all that it takes a democrat to get things done!!!
No the democrats didn't get it done, more of the Military are Republicans. The only think Democrats are getting done is destroying America with spending, spending, and more spending, no jobs, letting illegals stay, and getting us into another War in Libya as Obama is doing. Come on Democrats you are all toast come 2012. We will get rid of the clown, and get a read Man into our White House.
I think you are pizzed because it took a real man to get Obama. Bad day for you great day for the world.
sad penn;
spin spin spin
tax and spend repubbie!!!
Obama had NOTHING to do with this. Special Ops did and all Obama did was say..."go for it." I'm thrilled that OBL is no more, it just happened to finally take place on Obama's watch. Now, let's go after the REAL scumbag Alawari..or whatever his name is. Keep cutting the head off the snake. Small IS better than big sometimes...read the ture story novel; "The Horse Soldiers" about how much good work was done by a small group of Special Ops...300+ who inserted themselves in Afghanistan right after 9-11. Rode camels, grew beards, assimilated, went deep into the culture. Intelligence, spotters for surgical strikes, worked hand-in-glove with the Northern Alliance. They did more than the 150,000 we have roaming the countryside now. If we hadn't of gone back into Iraq and stayed the course in Afghanistan with this small band of operatives...Obama and company would have been toast 10 years ago.
In a war where there's no uniforms, no front lines...you've got to think outside the box.
Now, we have a war right here at home...(the debt, energy, an antiquated/broken tax system, a do-nothing government, unemployment, inflation-deflation) that is far more destructive than an old "has-been" who is now fish food.)
Obama is the commander in chieff for the aremed forces, but he had nothing to do with it.
Conversely, Obama doesn't control the economy but he's responsible for the recession that started under Bush.
The economy is our biggest issue, but republicans concentrate on Obama's long-form birth certificate and planned parenthood.
Does any else think republicans are practicing upside down logic?
Hey Beev;
Listen to the speech at all?
Obama knew about this in friggin' August! He sanctioned its planning and, pardon the word, its "execution".
Get real.
Am I the only one who's noticed that there has been NO REACTION from ANY gop official????? Their silence on the killing of Osama bin Laden is deafening! How odd!!
Deafening but not surprising.
Says a lot about the republican party. Politics first, tax cuts for the rich second, nation's business not at all.
I noticed it too Tom, but even Cheney gave credit where credit was due. You are correct though,....Kudos are lacking from the righties.
Right wingers are totally incompetent and unfit to run this country! 9/11 happened under their watch, one illegal war that cost over a trillion dollars of your tax dollars, they also sank the us economy, and brought one disaster after another. Republicans are nasty racist, morons ! They have not done one good thing for the american people, except for the rich. They are a bunch of traitors to our constitution.
Democrats are the best at running america, all republicans are worthless and should be thrown out of office. You want this country to thrive? vote democrats, in !!
Keep repeating that line and you may believe it yourself one day. President has done more for the people in the country in two years than any president in history. At the same time fight off all the lies that the tea party and the GOP was putting out there. Unempolyment down, stockmarket up, long form of birth certificate out, Bin Osama dead. Everyday he make you all look more stupid. Been a very good month for the president. Obama 2012 for sure.
This is good slap in the face of all right wingers !! a black person has caught Ben Laden ... Ha ha !! And when I hear them said that Bush kept the country safe, oh REALLY ??? but what they forget to say is that 9/11 HAPPENED UNDER BUSH's WATCH ! Yes, the biggest terrorist attack happened under the republican party !
You, morons have no chance to win the 2012 election ! You and the tea partie nut cases are OVER !
Ya reckon ??? you have to be a College "KID" that aint how it works, Punk !!! you call me a moron I respond with Punk .. fair is fair right Punk
Give it about 48 hours and the right wing crazies, the Becks, the Trumps, the Bachmanns, the Palins and a whole bunch of tea baggers will be telling us this is all a hoax.
you just can't keep a good man down, can you Potter...