Prediction
posted at 8:07 am on May 5, 2011 by Mitch Berg
As re the Bin Laden photos:
- Obama, citing perfectly valid security and moral concerns, will decline to release photos of a dead Bin Laden. (CHECK)
- The media will devote slavish news coverage to the tiny fringe of conservatives, Republicans and Tea Partiers that question the “Bin Laden is Dead” story (studiously ignoring any leftists who do), and giving obsessive coverage to “polls” (that will, inevitably, present “questions” as “doubts”), making a tiny non-story into a “story”. Absent any empirical evidence of a significant trend (other than giving premium air time to a few highly-placed doubters – see Orly Taitz), the mainstream media will build a potemkin trend – purely to discredit conservatives. Read: “purely to discredit Obama’s opposition”.
- This coverage will rise to a crescendo right around the time a GOP nominee starts to push for some traction against the incumbent, right about the time non-wonks and non-news-junkies start paying attention to the election; figure around Labor Day, 2012.
- Look for the pictures to be released (via an elaborate leak – maybe Wikileaks or something similar) about a week after that crescendo.
“Gosh, Berg, you’re cynical”.
As re the relationship between the Democrats and the mainstream media, “cynicism” is just another word for “Zen-like perfect awareness”.
Cross-posted at Shot In The Dark.
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C’mon Mitch, you know those photos will be conveniently lost like Hillary’s law firm papers, or shoved down Sandy Berger’s socks. Or, with the soon to be promoted CIA director said:
Which begs the question: What were all those people watching in the now famous “situation room photo”??? Weren’t they were “supposed” to be watching the whole thing in real-time?
THE NEW ZAPRUDER FILM: 25 MINUTE BLACKOUT OF FEED DURING RAID NO ONE SAW……..film and photos at eleven.
Rovin on May 5, 2011 at 8:50 AM
He got rid of Trump, for that I do thank him.
Kissmygrits on May 5, 2011 at 9:10 AM
Of course it was filmed. You want the film of a well executed special operations event, at the least to know what worked, for future training. But you deny its existence so that it won’t be subject to a FOIA request. If you acknowledge it exists, there’s always a risk that the courts will acquiesce to a FOIA request. Much more convenient to say there was a cutoff. And I don’t have a problem with it.
And Berg, you’re cynical, but right as well.
rbj on May 5, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Just in case you missed my sarc rbj, my point is/was that even though our military’s finest most likely conducted and completed a well-planned operation, it takes the Obama administration just a few days, (and several time-line changes), to screw up, and cast doubt about what transpired. I do get your point about the “plausible deniability” to protect the contents of the mission. While I’m certainly not advocating any kind of a conspiracy, it just bugs me that this administration manages, (with little effort), to release conflicting information on exactly what happened, by ignorance, or by design.
Rovin on May 5, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Are you sure? Trump will re-incarnate himself as Deather and force Obambi to release the full video/fotos just in time for 4th of July 2011.
BHO’s admin is a total bunch of media whores and would be 2-bit gangsters if not for the impact they have on racing off the fiscal precipice.
AH_C on May 5, 2011 at 10:38 AM
I did get your sarcasm.
What I don’t get is why this regime is screwing up this victory so badly. If you don’t have the details, say so. Say “details to come.” If you only have initial reports, say “initial reports.” There’s much about the operation that must by needs remain secret. I’ve got no problem with that.
Just don’t oversell initially, and then have to walk back and discount everything. It makes you look weak and foolish. Not the US. If The Whine had stood there and said “damn straight it was a kill mission. Bin Laden was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, was head of an organization that beheaded civilian prisoners, we weren’t giving him the option of surrender and trial which would result in the death penalty anyway.” I’d respect him for that.
rbj on May 5, 2011 at 11:01 AM
I think closer to the election, personally.
catmman on May 5, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Berg, if you’re cynical then I was on the same train as soon as they started discussing “whether or not” the pictures should be released.
I told my husband, here we go again. Same as the birth certificate. Distraction and tool to use as Republicans are labeled “racist deathers”.
And the right will fall for the bait again . . .
Greyledge Gal on May 5, 2011 at 12:03 PM
I don’t know. As both Eugene Robinson and Alan Dershowitz (among others) are calling for release, not sure this will fly.
Prediction of my own: By mid-summer Obama will be mired where he was and heading further south. There is no cure for this guy’s brand of poisonous incompetence, except…
Look for an Iran bombing in summer of 2012.
rrpjr on May 5, 2011 at 12:27 PM
I was thinking along the lines of blaming Repubs for deather movement and showing photo as Ocotober surprise.
He already released his previously planned October surprise (birth certificate).
meMC on May 5, 2011 at 5:07 PM
Obama’s “plausible deniability”:
Obama DID NOT order Osama hit
Roy Rogers on May 6, 2011 at 4:49 PM