Bush's October surprise -- it's coming

[atommom]

One hears not an encouraging word about US President George W Bush these days, even from Republican loyalists. Yet I believe that Bush will stage the strongest political comeback of any US politician since Abraham Lincoln won re-election in 1864 in the midst of the American Civil War.

Two years ago I wrote that Bush would win a second term as president but live to regret it. Iraq's internal collapse and the president's poll numbers bear my forecast out. But Bush's Republicans will triumph in next November's congressional elections for the same reason that Bush beat Democratic challenger John Kerry in 2004. Americans rally around a wartime commander-in-chief, and Bush will have bombed Iranian nuclear installations by October.

One factoid encapsulates Bush's opportunity: in a February 14 CNN/Gallup poll, 80% of respondents said they believed that Iran, if it had nuclear weapons, would hand them over to terrorists; 59% said Iran might use nuclear weapons against the United States. A slight majority of those polled, to be sure, did not wish to use military action against Iran, but that should be interpreted as "not yet", for two-thirds said they worried that the US would not do enough to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

God takes care of drunks, small children and the United States of America. Improbably, destiny has a surprise in store for George W Bush.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HD11Ak03.html

[enid602]

1. plan

This is no doubt what they're planning, but if it turns out as planned, it would be a first. Bush has the Midas touch in reverse.

[Jai4WKC08]

2. Hand them over to terrorists?

How in the hell are they gonna do that? Wrap 'em up in a package and mail 'em Fed Ex? Goddamn but Americans are stupid sometimes.

Iran has no way of using nukes against the US either. They're a pretty long way from getting ICBMs, even if the Russians or Chinese wanted to help them, which seems unlikely to me. North Korea has nothing with sufficient range to reach us from Iran.

I suppose Iran could threaten one or more of its neighbors. I actually find that more frightening, since it could induce the ones who don't now have nukes to think they need to get some. But seriously, why are Americans more worried about Iranian nukes than the Israelis are? Or the Sauds, Turks, Jordanians, etc?

What are these people thinking?