. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, a Belgian citizen and mastermind of the deadly attacks in Paris has been killed. His partner Salah Abdeslam, 26, a French citizen, and another associate from Molenbeek, Belgium are still being sought by authorities as suspects in the recent Paris attacks. Molenbeek has been called Belgiums Jihad Central, where Belgian authorities also arrested nine people in a series of raids on Thursday. Seven of those arrested are part of an investigation into Bilal Hadfi, 20, also from Molenbeek. Hadfi detonated his explosive vest outside the Stade de France in the attacks last week. The problem with these facts concerning the attackers is that none of them support the spin being used by the Republicans to place sole blame for the deaths in Paris on Islamic State terrorists sneaking into France as Syrian refugees. Yes, it is possible the influx of Muslims may have helped Abaaoud reenter Europe from Syria, but it is likely he would have easily returned with or without the refugee problem. Also, the Republicans have been campaigning using Islamophobia for months already, so their voter base will grow very little with terrorist attacks in Europe being perpetrated by citizens of European nations. That kind of cr(*)p has been going on for centuries. Locking the displaced masses out of the U.S. so far ahead of the 2016 Presidential election is a big mistake for the Republicans. They would have been much better off to grudgingly permit the Democrats to welcome the Syrian refugees into the U.S. With thousands of non-citizen, brown-skinned Muslims in the U.S. for most of 2016, it is certain there would be any number of minor incidents of culture clash. The cast members of the GOPs Clown Show for 2016 and other Republican candidates could have then parlayed these simple misunderstandings into full fledged terrorist acts in the minds of their followers, and a fair amount of easily fooled moderates. But no, in their eagerness to further feed the paranoia of their right wing voting base, the Congressional Republicans and the GOP Presidential hopefuls jumped the gun hoping to make political hay. Given the extremely short memories of most U.S. voters, the Paris Terrorist Attacks of November 2015 will be so far in the past they will mean nothing on Election Day 2016. Republicans, conservatives, and neoconservatives can only hope European countries continue to accept the refugees and that the Molenbeek Jihadists keep killing large groups of people for the foreseeable future. If the Paris Attacks were all the Molenbeek Jihadists had, they were Much Too Early to help the GOP in 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/world/europe/paris-attacks.html .
I agree Americans have short memories and you are most likely right that the Paris attacks were too early to have an impact in November of 2016. Way too many political pundits treat every event or happening as a game changer. This did bring the nation's attention over the last week and probably a couple more to national security and foreign policy. Most Americans view the Democrats as weak in this area. The question now arises, how many more terrorist attacks will happen between now and the election and where? Paris a week ago, Mali yesterday, where tomorrow or next year? If things settle down, you are absolutely correct. Come a couple of months from now these attacks, Paris and Mali might as well have taken place 60 years ago. Such is the memory span of most Americans. But if an attack were to happen here, that would mean a brand new ballgame. Of course timing is important also. The Republicans have positioned themselves just right in case an attack does happen. They are in a position to say, "I told you so." An attack on our soil say at the beginning of summer or another major attack in Europe like Paris with all the hoopla would certainly deliver the White House to the Republican nominee especially after all the posturing and the house vote which have the Democrats on record. I say summer because most Americans will rally around the president when it happens, but a couple of weeks to a month after that will cease and the president will be seen as weak on national defense, protecting its citizens and on the terrorists and ISIS also. The last thing the Democrats want or need is for this election to be turned into one of national security and foreign policy. This is deemed to be President Obama's weakest link. Take a look at RCP President Obama's foreign policy approval rating: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval_foreign_policy-2821.html Notice he is below 38% in the average of the 8 polls which make up the average. Now take a closer look at the last two polls, the two latest. President Obama is at 33% in both. If I were a Democrat I would want next years election to be about anything but foreign policy or national security.
The Republicans can't run on their economic policies, given the rapidly increasing income inequality. The same with creating jobs, their own history works against them there too. This is the reason the GOP must rely on hatred, whether it be their imaginary war on Christians and Christmas, their racial hatred, their hatred of the poor and other groups dependent on safety net programs, Medicaid, Medicare, and, Social Security. Making the Syrian refugees an acceptable target for conservative and neoconservative hate (which is an easy thing to do), is the best bet the Republican Party has to get right leaning moderates to forget the economic wreckage the GOP always leaves in their wake. The Republican budget to fight the inevitable wars they want in the Middle East will finally bankrupt this country, and at the same time, further strengthen al Qaeda and especially the Islamic State. .
Great Point! If a single terrorist can be shown NOT to have infiltrated via the refugee flood, then the Republicans point about the danger the refugee flood offers dissolves like the wicked witch when the bucket of water was thrown on her! But without the refugee flood, he might have found another way in! Q.E.D! We are undone! But wait! I thought this was all making them look bad and now you are claiming that the benefit will not last through the election. Shouldn't you have to choose between these two points? Dang! For some folks the attempt to pick a point and stay on it from one end of the article to the other is not unlike the experience of a pin ball crashing through the bumpers of a pinball machine. The New York Times printed this hopeful crap? You can't see me, but I'm sadly shaking my head in disbelief. These people are out of their minds. They used to seem like somewhat intelligent folks and now they are exhibiting the brainpower of a lost zombie hopelessly separated from its horde. Bloomberg poll: ISIS most important issue facing country, majority want a pause on refugees http://www.scribd.com/doc/290424533/Bloomberg-Politics-national-poll-Nov-20-2015 When the position of a supermajority is reported as the "extreme" position the reporter looks like an idiot with an agenda being poorly served by his efforts. The issue of ISIS has also now become the most important issue, jumping ten points since September to 21%, while unemployment and jobs dropped nine points to 11%. That's damn important. Hillary is running more or less as an incumbent, one who will protect Obama's policies from reversal by Republicans. Unfortunately the right/wrong direction numbers in polls for the US is running 23/69, the most negative seen by Bloomberg in 5 years. The Republicans are running on change and reform and national security policy, the candidate for continuity would be in a difficult position even if they were pleasant talented and charming, but Hillary is a mean nasty old Hag who may have been the worst Secretary of State to ever hold the office. The article you posted is a hopeless gasp to pretend that the light in the tunnel is a rescue party rather than an oncoming train.
Only a damned fool would believe that there will be no further attacks before the election. ISIS is just warming up according to many terrorist experts. Maybe Hillary will be there to meet them at the Atlantic coastline with a white flag.
Historically, what is best for the Republican Party is never good for average Americans. That is why they should let the Syrian refugees into the U.S. More non-whites will give their right wing base more people to hate, and hatred is the proven glue that holds the rank-and-file Republicans together. It certainly isnt GOP economic policies that favor only the super-rich. Its not their policies that fail to protect workers rights or the environment. No, hatred is all the Republican Party has to keep most of their loyal flock in line. Hatred of minorities, hatred of the poor, the elderly, the disabled, hatred of non-Christians, anyone not conservative and not white is to be hated. That is why turning away Syrian refugees was a big political flub for the Republicans. These Paris terror attacks happened much, much too early to help the eventual Republican nominee. Yes, right wing paranoia is a great political tool for the GOP, but the conservatives' and neoconservatives' memories are so very, very short. Permitting the Democrats to bring thousands of what conservatives and neoconservatives are convinced are "Muslim Terrorists" into the country, would be a constant reminder of the Paris killings all Republican politicians could exploit thoroughly over the coming year. You should think of the needs of your party rather than indulging your own ego to disagree with a liberals opinion. My OP does nothing more than offer the Republican Party helpful advice theyve obviously overlooked due to their need to cling to their tradition as the G"NO"P and trying to limit Obama to one term. That ship sailed in 2012, such short, short memories. .
I doubt very seriously that the Paris/Beirut/Russian/Mali attacks in quick succession hasn't changed a tons of minds this election cycle. Those coveted independents who sit on the fence wondering which party they'll vote for, yeah those guys and gals, the attacks have most certainly caused at least some shift in their minds possibly a huge shift. My guess is that the demoquacks will lose the White House as well as seats in the House and Senate. I also suspect they'll lose more ground at the state level.
