Would you change your voting intention following a terrorist attack?

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
If, as in Spain, a terrorist attack happened only a short time before a national election, would it affect your voting behaviour?

It might. If the leader responded like a complete douchebag (e.g., throwing everybody into a panic or starting a witch hunt) then I'd be less inclined to vote for him/her. On the flipside, if the leader responded exceptionally well then I'd be more inclined to vote for him/her.

If the leader's incompetence was partially to blame for the attack (e.g., if the leader had sent the entire police force on vacation the day before the attack), then I'd be less inclined to vote for him/her. However, if the terrorists had targeted my nation as a result of policies enacted by the leader with which I was in agreement, then I don't see how this could affect my voting behavior any -- I mean, who cares if a bunch of murderers disagree with the leader's policies?

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
of course, the way the bush camp will spin it is that kerry the anti-military anti-intelligence vietnam veteran will just allow conditions that help terrorist attacks arise in the us.

Yup. That is how it is. He will cut back the intelligence services so much as he has proved with his past voting record, and terrorists will just flood the country.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
of course, the way the bush camp will spin it is that kerry the anti-military anti-intelligence vietnam veteran will just allow conditions that help terrorist attacks arise in the us.

Agreed. Time for Kerry to spin this as Bush wasting money on bogus missle defense when the enemy is a backpack left in the subway.

[Ned]

Originally posted by The Templar


Your point? So if Al Qaida will take credit for a Bush victory in November, does that mean you won't vote for Bush?

The terrorists win when you vote based on their perceptions.

Templar, nice spin.

However, I fully expect an al Qaeda attack on the US just prior to elections. If Kerry wins, al Qaeda will take the credit. The will not take credit, but will view as a defeat, the reelection of George Bush.

[Az]

I would change my vote if my party mishandled the issue very badly.

[Ned]

You know, Che, absolutely no one believes that Kerry is serious about a war on terror when he openly talks about repealing the Patriot Act.

[Ned]

Originally posted by The Templar


Agreed. Time for Kerry to spin this as Bush wasting money on bogus missle defense when the enemy is a backpack left in the subway.

Time for Kerry to get serious himself. He must explain why he wanted to gut our intelligence services after the first al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center and why he is calling for repeal of the Patriot Act.

[Q Classic]

and do you think that the spin for both sides will actually change things at all?

i personally don't. the election is contentious enough as it is, with battle lines already drawn and core supporters already set. the vast middle is already disgusted with both sides, and you can probably expect a pretty equal division if nothing untoward is revealed about either candidate, bombing or no bombing.

you'll have rightists saying kerry will have more of the same.
you'll have leftists saying bush will have more of the same.

and neither of them will have brains enough to stfu and deal with the mess without politicizing it for their own ends.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Ned
The[y] will not take credit, but will view as a defeat, the reelection of George Bush.

Sure they will. I'm sure Al Qaida would prefer that we have incompetent leadership that is both ineffective at fighting terrorists and alientates the rest of the world. Perfect for divide and conquer.

They could spin it any number of ways. They could say they beat free institutions and now the "crusaders" rush to destroy their own freedoms with things like the patriot act.

[Nubclear]

I would if my party messed things up even more.

Templar: He's trolling you. Stop biting

[Q Classic]

honestly, i don't think al-qaida really gives a ****ing hoot about which americans are which.

whether bush or kerry is elected, they will still hate us, and they will still attack us.

after all, we're americans.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Ned
You know, Che, absolutely no one believes that Kerry is serious about a war on terror when he openly talks about repealing the Patriot Act.

Yeah, but Kerry does prove his commitment to democratic institutions when he talks about letting the sunset provisions take effect.

Moreover, I don't see the Patriot Act as any great aid in fighting terrorists. Most of its provisions were originally requested by the DOJ for the war on drugs. Terrorism and the name "Patriot" were just the Trojan horse to get this assault on freedom through the Congress.

[Ned]

Originally posted by The Templar




Sure they will. I'm sure Al Qaida would prefer that we have incompetent leadership that is both ineffective at fighting terrorists and alientates the rest of the world. Perfect for divide and conquer.

They could spin it any number of ways. They could say they beat free institutions and now the "crusaders" rush to destroy their own freedoms with things like the patriot act.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by The Templar


The terrorist attack alone is meaningless ... If Bloomberg came out and said "Bully for ELF" THAT might effect my vote.

Then it wouldn't be meaningless.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by The Templar


Blatant troll, fez-bot.

Cmon, like guevera wasnt trolling?


Lets see, if there was a terror attack in the US, and Bush, in a desperate attempt to not talk about Al Qaeeda, said with certainty it was say, Right wing militias, in a transparent attempt to change the subject, i suspect that would sway me against Bush.

If, OTOH, Al qaeeda delivered a video saying that this latest attack was punishment for US policy X, pursued by Bush, it would not sway me against Bush. It wouldnt sway me FOR Bush based on simple rallying around the leader. Since I prefer Kerry on domestic issues, and Bush on the WOT, it might lead me to lean more toward Bush, though Id be wary of doing that.

At this point the bombing and election in Spain is factoring into my thinking. It places the election of Kerry into a different context. Already I see people posting things like, today Aznar, then Bush, then Blair. In the context of the Spanish election, a Kerry win will be seen in many quarters as a part of a trend of rejection of all the leaders who supported the invasion of Iraq, and that would change it for me. I also fear it might impact John Kerry's judgement - he seems in recent days to running as "the worlds" candidate against Buch. With all do respect to the world, I dont like that. Both because its objectionable in principle, and because the "world opinions" Kerry seems to be referring to (presumably not Tony Blair, Jalal Talabani, or Ehud Barak) are ones that I beleive are mistaken on the key issues of the time. If THAT is going to be the Kerry candidacy, I will have a hard time voting for him. Of course I await his VP pick.