Al Queda endorses McCain

MarkEsq

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I see we have had a few threads about endorsements, I thought this one interesting. If it has already been discussed, and I just missed it, a mod may delete. :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/opinion/26kristof.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

Now, it's an opinion piece about the endorsement so don't hammer me for not printing the endorsement itself. I doubt the NY Times would lie about it's existence. The question is, what does it mean? The writer indicates that McCain's vow to continue the war is good for recruiting, which is a position many have taken and one I agree with. Thoughts?
 

Higgins

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I see we have had a few threads about endorsements, I thought this one interesting. If it has already been discussed, and I just missed it, a mod may delete. :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/opinion/26kristof.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

Now, it's an opinion piece about the endorsement so don't hammer me for not printing the endorsement itself. I doubt the NY Times would lie about it's existence. The question is, what does it mean? The writer indicates that McCain's vow to continue the war is good for recruiting, which is a position many have taken and one I agree with. Thoughts?

Islam has been recruiting for various Jihads for over a thousand years without McCain's help. I doubt that any particular American president makes much difference and when has el Queda ever needed a political excuse to blow something up? I don't find their theocratic analysis of world events very convincing in any case. I think the article is looking for political rationality where there isn't very much.

The meat of the article seemed to be an analysis of events in Somalia.

Given what various branches of Islam have been doing in Africa lately (for example the Islamic Arabs versus the Islamic Fur in Darfur)...I'm not so sure that unleashing the Judeo-Christian Eithiopians on the Islamic Courts in Somalia was necessarily a bad idea. Perhaps America is not always a good default enemy for the average Islamic Jihadist to pick on. Perhaps Jihadists will go back to massacring their innocent non-Arabic-speaking co-religionists while they come up with somebody else to have a Holy War with. Or what if they gave a Jihad and nobody came?
 

Bravo

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i agree that it's silly, but just imagine what republicans wouldve said if al qaeda came out in support of obama.
 

Higgins

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Well, they may be funding him...


Evidently the proverbial Al Queda in the Chicken Coop has not been reading the proverbial fine print in the proverbial US Constitution...which in my copy reads "No man shall serve two brothers in Hell or more than two dozen eternal virgins in heaven."

I consulted my local Ulama or expert in the Islamic interpretation of the fine print in the US Constitution and he pointed out that that particular verse (which is also in the fine print in the Idiot's guide to the Q'oran)
seems to mean that no man can be both President of the US (as a sovereign entity) and Q'ualify as the Q'ualif of Bagdad as well.
 

Monkey

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I think it's pretty meaningless, but agree that if they'd come out in support of Obama instead of McCain it'd be shouted from the rooftops.
 

katiemac

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I have to wonder why they would support McCain over Obama. In other words, what's their end game by announcing it?

If they really do want McCain president, that's obviously because they find him a weaker choice. But announcing it? That could only damage McCain's numbers. It almost seems like they'd prefer Obama in office.
 

MarkEsq

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I have to wonder why they would support McCain over Obama. In other words, what's their end game by announcing it?

If they really do want McCain president, that's obviously because they find him a weaker choice. But announcing it? That could only damage McCain's numbers. It almost seems like they'd prefer Obama in office.


I know, I started down the second-guessing road but realized that it goes on for ever.

"I bet they endorsed McCain because they knew that would drive people towards Obama. Which means they want Obama."
"Right. But they knew we would figure that out, so really they do want McCain."
"Unless they knew we would figure out that they knew we would figure it out. In which they really want Obama."

And so on.
 

cethklein

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Evidently the proverbial Al Queda in the Chicken Coop has not been reading the proverbial fine print in the proverbial US Constitution...which in my copy reads "No man shall serve two brothers in Hell or more than two dozen eternal virgins in heaven."

I consulted my local Ulama or expert in the Islamic interpretation of the fine print in the US Constitution and he pointed out that that particular verse (which is also in the fine print in the Idiot's guide to the Q'oran)
seems to mean that no man can be both President of the US (as a sovereign entity) and Q'ualify as the Q'ualif of Bagdad as well.

Rules are for suckers..
 

C A Winters

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I know, I started down the second-guessing road but realized that it goes on for ever.

"I bet they endorsed McCain because they knew that would drive people towards Obama. Which means they want Obama."

"Right. But they knew we would figure that out, so really they do want McCain."

"Unless they knew we would figure out that they knew we zwould figure it out. In which they really want Obama."

And so on.


Yes, reverse psychology, pure and simple. They want Obama. I don't think, that they think, that we are smart enough to figure it out. From all the blatter, I don't blame them for thinking that.
 
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donroc

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I know, I started down the second-guessing road but realized that it goes on for ever.

"I bet they endorsed McCain because they knew that would drive people towards Obama. Which means they want Obama."
"Right. But they knew we would figure that out, so really they do want McCain."
"Unless they knew we would figure out that they knew we would figure it out. In which they really want Obama."

And so on.

Why am I hearing Wallace Shawn's voice?
 

ricetalks

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Why would they perfer McCain? Simple. Sarah Palin said the war in Iraq was "a task sent from God." Perfect rhetoric for a group of terrorist whose pitch is a holy war.
 

Bartholomew

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Well, it's a damn good thing neither of them can actually vote, in either case.
 

Higgins

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That's cool, but I'm not sure I see the relevance?

I'm just guessing since I left my ideo-decoder ring at a left-wing faction function....but apparently, the ideal president is one that nobody wants.

He or she or it (perhaps a neutered and/or angelic being would be idea? more ideal more presidential?) should be appointed by friendly elves who cannot appear on video. They are magic and so is the presidential being they give us.
 

dmytryp

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I'm just guessing since I left my ideo-decoder ring at a left-wing faction function....but apparently, the ideal president is one that nobody wants.

He or she or it (perhaps a neutered and/or angelic being would be idea? more ideal more presidential?) should be appointed by friendly elves who cannot appear on video. They are magic and so is the presidential being they give us.
Wha?
This whole thread is about Al-Qaeda supposedly endorsing McCain. Apparently some people find this of importance. Surely, by the same token a person completely outside US mainstream (like a guy from Gaza) calling people to vote for Obama is of similar relevance.
 

Bravo

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unless you are saying random people in gaza are al qaeda affiliated your statement made no sense.

very weak, dm.
 

kuwisdelu

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This whole thread is about Al-Qaeda supposedly endorsing McCain. Apparently some people find this of importance. Surely, by the same token a person completely outside US mainstream (like a guy from Gaza) calling people to vote for Obama is of similar relevance.

It's just one guy; a poll of Palestinians would be more telling (though probably somewhat difficult). And I wasn't sure if you were going for any unwritten implications there.
 

dmytryp

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unless you are saying random people in gaza are al qaeda affiliated your statement made no sense.

very weak, dm.
I am not saying that, and you know it.
By the way, the supposed Al Qaeda support didn't come from their official site, but from some rather random blogger supposedly affiliated with them.