With the slipping state of the Bush campaign and his sinking in the polls, it is time to dust off the terror attack method of re-election.
White House officials say they've got a "working premise" about terrorism and the presidential election: It's going to happen. "We assume," says a top administration official, "an attack will happen leading up to the election." And, he added, "it will happen here." (Full text here (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040524/whispers/24whisplead.htm))

Most "well-read" citizens expect another terrorist attack on U.S. soil before November 2, 2004 (anyone see recent polls / monitor bookies in Vegas?). This scenario isn't new. What is new is the build-up of psy-ops preparations to use fear to sway public opinion and avoid an election outcome like that witnessed in Spain a few months ago. Watch for an increase in the number of "public announcements" about attack probability and consequence preparations.

Personally, I believe another catastrophic attack (or series of them) will not ignite a flood of pro-Bush support as we saw post-9/11, but will push all those fence sitters into the reality that this war president can not protect all of us all of the time - and has, in fact, made things worse.

:m: Peace.

If the terrorists hit us before the election, it will only go to prove that they have no clue who they're dealing with. We're Americans, damn it! We'll follow the dumbest twat on the face of the planet if you tweak it rudely enough. The wise thing to do would be to hit us in response to the election. If the people tell their electors to pick Bush, or if Bush stages another successful junta, we should expect a responses between the third and tenth of November, and again in January, between the twenty-first and the twenty-eighth. Right after the election, and then right after the inauguration in order to drive the point home.

If the people elect Kerry ... oh, hell ... they don't really care, do they? That's the truly offensive notion, that they don't care enough to attack us with any sense of dignified propriety. I could care less about the cowardice of suicide bombs and hijackings at this point.

A note to the "terrorists" (as such)

Y'all heard the President: "Bring it on." But think very carefully before you do. What do you really want?

Do you want to win, or do you want to simply die?

In the case of the latter, attack at will. In the case of the former, think before you do anything. Make sure you understand just who and what you're blowing up. I know, I know, it's a lot more effort. And it's intellectual. And it might just have the effect of discouraging your actions. But don't you owe it to yourselves if you're going to get blown up one way or another to make sure that your reduction to parts and ashes and smoke is worth at least something to the human endeavor and your fellow Muslim, whom you claim to represent?

Seriously ... you can either piss us off and get smoked, or hit us properly and leave us gasping. It's your choice. But stay the hell out of our election or George W. Bush will be the instrument of your deliverance to God.

Those of us who would see your Muslim brethren known in peace instead of war will have a hard time doing anything toward that peace if you further empower the warmongers who would seek to eradicate the Arab-Islamic heritage from the world.