& after the 2nd Terror Attack on U.S. soil, bush's ratings SOARED!

[mopaul]

the president's approval numbers were in the shit can all year, rallied the nation yet again after the second devastating terror attack on u.s. soil in 4 years. little americans flags are popping up all over again like spring flowers. america's resolve for finishing the global war on terror has skyrocketed along with the president's approval ratings.

could this happen?

[apnu]

1. nah... I think he's been around long enough...

... that people are jaded by him. They wouldn't fall for it.

[Deja Q]

3. Don't be so sure.

Plenty of people I know still support him tooth and nail and believe his claptrap crap blab about "defending the homelaaaaaaaaaaaand".

[NNadir]

13. He has fooled some of the people all of the time, all of the people some

of the time but as we all know...

[apnu]

14. well sure... that' the nutty 30% that will never go away.

The president of my company totally fell for the Bird Flu - terrorist connection claptrap. I mean he really freaked out, converted all of his assets to cash, started stocking up on food -- I swear, he tried to turn his house into some weird Red Death holding sway outside thing.

Those people are never gonna give up on Bush, and will always believe the Chimp no matter how loony he may be. (I'm not saying Bird Flu is loony, but the hype about it is way off and loony)

but the middle of the road folks like my father-in-law who voted Republican his whole life see Bush's "Terror Boo!" tactics for what they are. He's even warmed up to LIHOP! Well, in a very minor way, he thinks that 9/11 could have been stopped, or at least mitigated to some degree, if Bush wasn't such a lazy coward. Talk about shock and awe! I was stunned when I heard that.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

No

The flags, yes. The country will, however, BLAME him rather than follow him. Because, after all, we are in Iraq so this happens there, right? So if it happens here, what is left? Then he has completely failed. The only minute success he can claim is that nothing has happened in four years. When it does, the REST of the American people will turn on him.

[rkc3]

12. Exactly.

He has spent untold billions shoring up our national security system, rewriting the bill of rights, and fighting them over there - all the while telling us he's tough on terror.

He'd go down in flames.

[Nite Owl]

2. At this point if that

were to happen it would indicate more a failure of his policies. But then that's how I would think of it the American public has been fooled more than once.

[Deja Q]

6. is * a genius for leading or is the populace genius for wanting to be led?

[thefloyd]

4. You know I had somewhat similar thoughts

Yesterdays Euphoria regarding Democratic victories and talk about 2006 and 2008 Democratic victories made me think a terror attack plus Bushco marketing campaigns would lower chances of 2006 2008 victories for democrats.

[tularetom]

5. I don't think they could MIHOP

and if it happened because they were so preoccupied with Iraq the result could only be bad for them. (Fool us once can't get fooled again)

[bullimiami]

7. possibly more would see it as another failure like iraq, the economy,

katrina etc...

[sendero]

8. Exactly the opposite...

... the only reason Bush has any support at all is that some still think he's effective on the terra issue.

Another significant attack here will drive a hole in that theory in a hurry.

[Agnomen]

10. Another attack on US would belie

"We fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" excuse for invading Iraq. So it might not help *'s sorry approval rating. On the other hand, people's initial reaction to an outside attack is to rally around the leader, so it might benefit him initially, until people are over the shock and start reasoning more clearly.

[notadmblnd]

9. I don't think it would do anything for his ratings

however I don't doubt that they're delusional enough to believie that another "terror" attack would improve his ratings. No, after the way they handled Katrina.... another "terorist" attack would only cement the fact in most americans minds that bush policy is a complete failure.

[Spurt]

11. He campaigned as.....

...being the only one who could keep Americans safe.
If it happens again he'll have failed to deliver as promised. That'll piss a lot of people off. He'll be called to account by a public now weary of his office.

Don't forget that there are about 230 million Americans who didn't vote for him, and a lot of those who did have since turned.
His remaining support is a small and reducing minority.

[alarcojon]

15. Don't forget, he could hardly blame a second attack on the Clenis

although, of course, they would try.

I tend to believe that he would get a short term bump, the Republicans would go into fear-spreading overdrive, but ultimately his ratings would return to the toilet. Freepers wouldn't even have the idiotic "there hasn't been an attack on U.S. soil since 9/11" line to prop up their fearmongering leader.