Let Bin Laden Cast A Vote?

There’s been a lot of buzz around the news media (the online stuff I read at least) about what the appearance of a new Bin Laden tape would do to this election. Its been said the nail in the coffin for the 2004 Kerry campaign was a Bin Laden tape and how Kerry failed to act authoritatively in response to it. Another tape could also influence the 2008 election, but in who’s favor?

First off, I think its a little stupid to take the comments of an internationally wanted man at face value. But I understand that how the candidate reacts to it speaks volumes about his leadership abilities. One BBC blogger says Bin Laden would be more afraid of an Obama presidency because it would be a “new face” of America and hinder al-Qaeda’s recruitment:

It brings us back to the hypothetical question. “If Osama Bin Laden had the vote, how would he use it?” Some people answer that he would surely vote for Obama because he believes in “soft power” before military force. But usually the conversation evolves along these lines. Osama Bin Laden would fear Barack Obama more because he will present a different face to the world. With his diverse background he will be a new American. Barack Obama will be a poor recruiter for al-Qaeda. It’s the Colin Powell point that “Obama would be a transformational president…it would electrify the world”. So might Osama Bin Laden then try to strengthen John McCain’s hand?

A Newsweek columnist goes a little further in postulating what the Obama camp would do. Its good advice I suppose, but its a little too much hypothetical speaking for me.

After condemning the new tape, Obama could launch right into renewed criticism of the failure to catch Al Qaeda’s mastermind seven years after 9/11. Instead of making him look like another weak Democrat, a new tape would give Obama a chance to seem muscular on national security. McCain would try to argue that the country would be safer with him, but it probably wouldn’t have the potency of Bush’s similar claim in 2004.

I also don’t know if it would be true that an Obama presidency would still the minds of potential militants. Obama, for all his charm, cannot heal anti-Americanism. He could give more people an incentive to question their hatred, but those who have already made up their minds will not be persuaded. Their hatred is rooted in perceived inustices that have been going on for the past few decades and coded in religious fervor. A bi-racial multicultural American president cannot change that. If anything he could further embolden the allies we already have.