I was watching the pre-convention news about the choice of Joe Biden (D-DE) as Obama’s running mate, and indulging myself in the exercise of trying to think like a terrorist.
This has got to be a tough time, decision-wise, for terrorists in the runup to the election.
The news says Obama way out-polls McCain on the question of who’s most likely to effect change. (One presumes the question of whether the “change” is positive or not is assumed.)
On the other hand, McCain wa-a-a-ay out-poll Obama on the question of who’d be the better commander-in-chief.
Now, if terrorists pulled off a major operation (major meaning newsworthy)against America, it would virtually assure McCain’s election.
If I were a terrorist, I’d wait until the Obama administration was comfortably in place, then mount a major operation and humiliate the U.S. a la the Carter Iranian hostage debacle.
On the other hand, that might assure a Republican, or at least hawkish, administration for some time to come. Remember who trounced Carter after a single term?
On the other hand, who is more likely to pop off and do something really drastic? Like nuclear drastic?
McCain, with his famously short temper?
Or Obama, with his sense of omnipotent capability to change reality to something more to his liking?
O-o-o-o-o that’s a toughie.