Reply #50: I'm with you...

[misanthrope]

...I firmly believe (as recent history has shown) the American public would react to such by flexing their nationalism.

If you look at a graph of this President's popularity ratings, though on a general decline, they have always taken a surge after events of this nature. 9/11, the beginning of the war, and the capture of Saddam Hussein were all big paydays for the Bush polls.

An actual Al-Qaeda attack at this point would prove one of three things. Either, a) they don't understand the American psyche enough to realize the American penchant for jingoism, and such a vast misunderstanding of their foe doesn't bode well for their long-term success, or b) they actually want Bush back in office because they feel it helps their cause in some way, possibly by gaining them more sympathy and soldiers, or c) opportunity overrides all and they have to strike while the iron is hot.

Of course, the info given out by the feds in the last few days sounds like a whole lot of nothing. "An increase in chatter"? That's it? That could be the result of a LOT of things.

Sounds like the feds took something that sounded merely "curious" and upped the alarm notch on it a bit. They tweaked it a little to suit them.

Not to mention, haven't they been giving these freakin' things right before every holiday anyway?

But, you know, it got everyone's minds off the credibility shot we've taken in the last few months, right?