President Obama’s tactic of campaigning on the killing of Osama Bin Laden appears to be backfiring amid plunging polls and objections from a key Democratic ally and Navy SEALs themselves, whose members executed the operation.
Meanwhile, Obama decision to make the killing a political showpiece has galvanized conservatives, who are outraged that an operation that relied partially on work done during the Bush administration and that was carried out by American’s finest servicemen has become a political pawn.
Conservative media and talk shows are dominated by discussion of the political maneuver and Obama’s move to open the Situation Room to NBC News in order to showcase the president’s role in the killing.
In the days since Vice President Biden launched the Bin Laden effort Thursday with a speech in which he said “Osama bin Laden is Dead” should be emblazoned on an Obama bumper sticker, Obama’s approval rating has declined from 50 percent to 47 percent, while the number who disapprove has climbed from 44 percent to 48 percent, according to Gallup.
Over the same period, Mitt Romney has erased a seven-point Obama lead, with the matchup switching from 50-43 percent in favor of Obama to a one-point Romney lead, 47-46 percent.
Many variables can contribute to polls, including margin of error. But the major storyline of the campaign over the last several days has been the Bin Laden killing.
In a startling development, one of Obama’s most important supporters, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, came out Monday against Obama’s use of an advertisement to tout the Bin Laden killing.
Here’s what she said:
In a piece in the Daily Mail, several former and current Navy SEALs themselves objected to the use of their work for Obama’s reelection campaign.
One current SEAL stuck his neck way out to express his displeasure.
A serving SEAL Team member said: ‘Obama wasn’t in the field, at risk, carrying a gun. As president, at every turn he should be thanking the guys who put their lives on the line to do this. He does so in his official speeches because he speechwriters are smart.
‘But the more he tries to take the credit for it, the more the ground operators are saying, “Come on, man!” It really didn’t matter who was president. At the end of the day, they were going to go.’
Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, who has been the butt of Obama campaign suggestions that he would not have green lighted the raid, appears to have developed an effective counterstrategy, positioning himself as being above such low-grade tactics.
“Let’s not make the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden a politically divisive event,” Romney said today.
Obama rejects the idea that he’s overdoing it. “I hardly think you’ve seen any excessive celebration taking place here,” he said Monday.
26 thoughts on “Obama’s Politicization of Bin Laden Raid May be Backfiring”
A year ago I thought to myself; “he’s going to use this to campaign on”. I’m glad it’s backfiring on him. This Illustrates the Left’s lack of understanding of the temperament of the majority of Americans.
Another “Roadrunner” cartoon
While anticipating a fine meal of Roadrunner, WileyCoyote lays a fire under the cooking pot but accidentally uses an Acme dynamite stick instead of a log.
Beep. Beep.
Has a Special Ops. team ever spoken out against the CIC? Personally I have no memory of such an action, and it speaks volumes to me. This grandstanding is despicable, especially if the reports about dragging Obama off the golf course to participate in the execution of the plan are true.
The thing no one is talking about is how this is going to effect the security of our Armed Forces still in Afghanistan and around the world. Think about it… We assasinated their revered leader, they were already hated the US, now they are even more pissed. And now, our leader is bragging about what HE did! Do ya really think they aren’t going to be even more motivated to retaliate? Did you even consider the repercussions, Mr. President? You made the call to get him, got it. Everything since then should have been and stayed low key. When you show your great satisfaction in killing their leader, you make even more of a target out of EVERY American. Shall we pat you on the back for that too?
good point
Obama rejects the idea that he’s overdoing it. “I hardly think you’ve seen any excessive celebration taking place here,” he said Monday.
Typical wordplay used by teh One. We aren’t accusing him of “excessive celebration.” We’re accusing him of politicizing the killing. Of the excess credit he gives himself. And of the smirky, smarky, claims which involve a twisting of Romney’s words.
He thinks we’re all stupid.
His lies and childish outlook on the whole friggin world work well with his whole base, the childish, short-sighted people that can’t see how destructive O is, even to their own futures. That’s the problem.
I hope it backfires big time – nothing is sacred anymore. My husband and I had an opportunity about 8 years ago to have a tour of the West Wing. I remember being shown the door into the “Situation Room” and thinking – boy some incredibly important decisions have been made in that room. It was not open for display – and rightfully so. We have become so reality show oriented that I believe that is what is happening with this White House Administration it’s becoming a “Reality Show” along with all the drama and childish antics. Personally there are some things that should just remain off limits. Interview the President about the day and those decisions that can be made public – make sure you congratulate all those who made it possible and yes that should also include the ground work that preceded your administration which helped make it possibe; show some pictures of the day, but leave the mystic of the “Situation Room” a mystic. Every day I wonder if this campaign strategy of the President can get any more juvenile (and I do call it juvenile!) and every day I am reminded this is only the beginning. Quite frankly – I really don’t care if our President is “Cool”. I really do want an adult in the position. A President can be personable, have a sense of humor and interact with the public without it being necessary to be “Cool”.
amen.
yeah, but he’s got your back, don’t you feel it? :-o
Gayle King, “In a campaign, aren’t you supposed to tout the accomplishments of what you have done?” No, dear, that’s the Orpha show.
What is this intellectual flyweight doing on a national show? Her credentials: she’s one of Holder’s people and was Oprah’s best friend forever.
She’s as stupid as Michelle Obama, and that’s saying a lot.
I have wondered about that myself…
Kathy Griffin, who bugs me with her liberal-ness, but is funny sometimes, makes hilarious cracks about Gayle & Oprah being something more than friends.
And don’t forget – he had a movie producer sitting in on all the classified meetings while Pete Souza, his personal photographer, was busily snapping away for posterity!
I wonder how the families of the 9/11 victims will react when the movie, KILLING BIN LADEN, is released this year. Obama treated them with utter distain and disregard – refusing to meet with them until after the capture of Bin Laden when he rushed to Ground Zero for his victory lap!. When they objected to the Mosque, he ignored them. When they asked him not to put KSM on trial in NYC, he ignored them.
While he was blowing his own horn, he blew the cover off the Seals TEAM 6 – resulting in the helicopter massacre of 31 Special Ops, including 17 members of Team 6! What a bas*ard! The single worst massacre of the Afghan war – and he swept it under the table!
And when the families of the slain Seals requested no photos – what did he do? He showed up with Pete Souza and was photographed in silhouette – saluting them! Unforgiveable!!!!
These people that he threw under the bus for his miniscule political gain need to speak up, let some of the obots know how the president really feels about people.
I support the courageous efforts of our SEALS. They got it right. Thank God they are on our side. Making political hay out of “making the call” IS spiking the ball in the end zone. I would more thank the refueling boom operator on a KC-130 who was on station for twelve hours prior to the SEAL Team insertion than a President who had to cut his golf game short.(No thanks to Valerie Jarrett)
Mitt summed it up well with “Even Carter would have made the call.”
There was a collective thud on the set when Huffington said what she did. Gayle and Charlie jaws dropped and they both almost fell off their chairs, incredulous that Huffington would say anything against our President. Gayle even said “Really?” I had CBS on yesterday and when I saw Arianna was a guest, I switched to Fox. Who knew I’d miss THE moment. Thanks for the clip.
After what Obama said about her at the press dinner, good for her! That clip made me smile!
I am hoping things keep backfiring on his dream team of political advisors.
McCain finally said something noteworthy:
“You know the thing about heroes? Heros don’t brag!”
http://nation.foxnews.com/john-mccain/2012/05/01/mccain-obamas-bin-laden-death-victory-lap-you-know-thing-about-heroes-they-don-t-brag
Wonder if this will put a damper on the O’Rambo movie being produced by his Hollyweird buddies? Remember the filmmakers who were given top secret access to details of the raid? I’ll never forget the Taliban trap that took the lives of many SEAL Team 6 members after the loose lips of this administration outed their participation in the mission. Doubt he will even mention their passing. The algae king is no hero – he is nothing but a zero.
First of all, who the hell is Arianna Huffington? Isn’t she the former conservative turned liberal with a lot of money and a silly website. I wonder how long it took her to learn to speak English.
And I agree that the liberals on CBS had a collective jaw drop as Arianna said what they never expected.
I predict that there will be more of these unforeseen criticisms coming from Obama supporters before this election is over. Even liberals can hide the truth for only so long before they realize that they had better speak up or risk becoming even more irrelevant than they already are!
Assuming the veracity of Leon Panetta actually issuing the kill order due to Obama’s vacillation at crunch time (and he questions Romney), why is this not being brought up by anyone on the anniversary while Obama strutts and lies?
Aloha, Mikie
According to a report in the Daily Rash, Osama bin Laden was planning to open a Dairy Queen franchise in Kandahar before the U.S. marines blew his head off. http://www.thedailyrash.com/osama-bin-ladens-dream-of-owning-dairy-queen-franchise-thwarted
Now it’s ok to spike the football, Obama & Biden? What a bunch of fools and tools we have Pres and VP. Neither one of you have any class, brains, morals, backbone, leadership skills, etc. Team Jerk-off in action. Put that on a bumper sticker, morons.
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