Obama Is Right: Not Releasing Photo

[quote]Makavali wrote:

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
As an aside, I do wonder if Obama is handling this right with regard to how he portrays himself. Not morally, per se, but w/r/t re-election. I doubt many would disagree that, had Bush been president when Osama was captured or killed, he would have played it up.

Obama seems to be trying to take a moral high ground (saying things like “We dont need to spike the football”), at the possible cost of a re-election platform.
[/quote]

That in itself may be what gets him re-elected. People will look back on this and say “this motherfucker did his job and didn’t brag about it”.[/quote]

Mak, he didn’t need this to get reelected. He’s a great candidate and I have not yet seen a republican candidate that will be able to match him – But I am hoping.

One other thought Bush Sr had an approval rating of 87% when he drove Saddam out of Kuwait, but lost months later to Bill Clinton because of a down slide in the economy. So, if things get even a little worse (as we’re on the edge right now) that could hurt him.

[quote]ZEB wrote:

[quote]Makavali wrote:

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
As an aside, I do wonder if Obama is handling this right with regard to how he portrays himself. Not morally, per se, but w/r/t re-election. I doubt many would disagree that, had Bush been president when Osama was captured or killed, he would have played it up.

Obama seems to be trying to take a moral high ground (saying things like “We dont need to spike the football”), at the possible cost of a re-election platform.
[/quote]

That in itself may be what gets him re-elected. People will look back on this and say “this motherfucker did his job and didn’t brag about it”.[/quote]

Mak, he didn’t need this to get reelected. He’s a great candidate and I have not yet seen a republican candidate that will be able to match him – But I am hoping.

One other thought Bush Sr had an approval rating of 87% when he drove Saddam out of Kuwait, but lost months later to Bill Clinton because of a down slide in the economy. So, if things get even a little worse (as we’re on the edge right now) that could hurt him. [/quote]

While you are right, I see a very key difference.

A lot of the people blame Bush for the current economic status, so the economy would really have to go somewhere drastic for it to be a deciding factor. For now, he can play the “it’s going to take time to fix his mess” card.

[quote]Jfbalabama wrote:

[quote]Rockscar wrote:

[quote]Jfbalabama wrote:
Pics or it didn’t happen.

As much as the original story of OBL’s death changed i cant help but be suspicious. Originally it was reported that a predator drone fired a rocket into OBL’s mansion. The fact that OBL’s capture, trial, and execution would at the very least provide a major propaganda victory in the war on terror and possibly provide valuable intelligence on AQ leadership, finances, and operations that could potentially save lives in Afghanistan. Instead now OBL will act as a martyr for the AQ fighters possibly re-energizeing their cause, everything OBL knew is now lost with him.

Due to the discrepancy in the story, the only evidence of the assassination in circulation being photo-shopped pictures, and the pure propaganda value that the capture,trial, and humiliation of OBL would provide lead me to disbelieve the official story. Its much more likely he died from natural causes and the Obama administration is making some half-assed effort to take credit for his death(after all it is unlikely that the U.S. would admit to OBL dieing of natural causes after all the time, lives, and money spent hunting him down), or possibly bring closure to the war on terror. It makes no strategic sense to just kill the fucker off, when he is much more valuable alive( for the time being at least).

[/quote]

a-compound
b-his wife’s in custody and talking
c-We hit that compound (wreckage and tweets)
d-Al Quaeda recognized death
c- No new tapes from the OBL.

That works for me.

First you say it did not happen, then you say we should have captured him. It makes better sense to waste the fucker and not allow our courts system (Holder) to even have a chance to piss us all off by protecting him.

The irony is that if he was in that compound for 5 years, he was in his own self made prison to begin with.
[/quote]
Besides at the very least releasing the picture(assuming they exist, would send a message to the AQ, “This is what happens when you fuck with us” rather than allowing AQ to be able to totally frame what supposedly happened.

What i said is that if it did happen OBL would have been captured rather than killed, he was too valuable of an asset to not take alive.

[/quote]

  1. that’s a shitty reason for releasing the picture. AQ knows well and good the message that’s been sent to them. they get fucked up all the time in Iraq and Afg. They don’t need a picture of Osama’s blown-up head to tell them that.

  2. from my understanding, the Seals were told by Obama to take him alive if possible, but if he presents any threat, take him out. And from what I read, Osama went towards a stockpile of weapons lying around. and he got owned. in da face.

Show the pics for the following reasons…

We spent trillions of dollars on this shit…

Soldiers have been killed and wounded from this shit…

We all get fisted by TSA agents because of this fucker…

Now show the pics already.

[quote]PB Andy wrote:
why would you be suspicious if the White House officials story of the raid changed a bunch of times? It would be suspicious if everything the WH put out was 100% accurate. All they really knew prior to the raid was where Osama was, the lay-out of the compound, and that the courier was probably there, that’s it. After the raid, they gave out information as accurately and quickly as they could to the media/public. As they get more information from the raid, obviously the story will change a bit as they interview the Seals, and look over all of the data and reports.

think of that picture that showed Sec of State Clinton all worried, the Air Force general or whoever that was on the laptop, and Obama watching the raid intently in the Situation Room. you think they are just going to fabricate that picture? You think someone is directing that picture? “OK, general, you will be on the laptop, Sec Clinton, can you look a little sadder? OK now you people, get in the background and act like your busy or something.” Come the fuck on.[/quote]

The original story involved a unmaned drone firing a rocket into the compound, its pretty fucking hard to confuse a rocket with a bullet. The only other alternative that you could be suggesting is that the Obama was completely ignorant of the details of what he was ordering when he supposedly green lit operation neptunes spear as well of its aftermath and just let his press secretary take a swing at it.

And of course they will fabricate a picture, nearly every picture of the president is designed to capture him in the best light, it was a photo op plane and simple.

[quote]PB Andy wrote:

[quote]Jfbalabama wrote:

[quote]Rockscar wrote:

[quote]Jfbalabama wrote:
Pics or it didn’t happen.

As much as the original story of OBL’s death changed i cant help but be suspicious. Originally it was reported that a predator drone fired a rocket into OBL’s mansion. The fact that OBL’s capture, trial, and execution would at the very least provide a major propaganda victory in the war on terror and possibly provide valuable intelligence on AQ leadership, finances, and operations that could potentially save lives in Afghanistan. Instead now OBL will act as a martyr for the AQ fighters possibly re-energizeing their cause, everything OBL knew is now lost with him.

Due to the discrepancy in the story, the only evidence of the assassination in circulation being photo-shopped pictures, and the pure propaganda value that the capture,trial, and humiliation of OBL would provide lead me to disbelieve the official story. Its much more likely he died from natural causes and the Obama administration is making some half-assed effort to take credit for his death(after all it is unlikely that the U.S. would admit to OBL dieing of natural causes after all the time, lives, and money spent hunting him down), or possibly bring closure to the war on terror. It makes no strategic sense to just kill the fucker off, when he is much more valuable alive( for the time being at least).

[/quote]

a-compound
b-his wife’s in custody and talking
c-We hit that compound (wreckage and tweets)
d-Al Quaeda recognized death
c- No new tapes from the OBL.

That works for me.

First you say it did not happen, then you say we should have captured him. It makes better sense to waste the fucker and not allow our courts system (Holder) to even have a chance to piss us all off by protecting him.

The irony is that if he was in that compound for 5 years, he was in his own self made prison to begin with.
[/quote]
Besides at the very least releasing the picture(assuming they exist, would send a message to the AQ, “This is what happens when you fuck with us” rather than allowing AQ to be able to totally frame what supposedly happened.

What i said is that if it did happen OBL would have been captured rather than killed, he was too valuable of an asset to not take alive.

[/quote]

  1. that’s a shitty reason for releasing the picture. AQ knows well and good the message that’s been sent to them. they get fucked up all the time in Iraq and Afg. They don’t need a picture of Osama’s blown-up head to tell them that.

  2. from my understanding, the Seals were told by Obama to take him alive if possible, but if he presents any threat, take him out. And from what I read, Osama went towards a stockpile of weapons lying around. and he got owned. in da face.[/quote]

  3. Its a much better reason than for not releasing any pictures

2.I find it hard to believe that a 54 year old dialysis patient who has supposedly been confined inside a house for 5 years who lived most of his life in a region where the avg. life expectancy for men is 46 could outrun navy seals, and i again point out Eric Holders qoute “You’re talking about a hypothetical that will never occur. We will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Obama bin Laden. He will never appear in an American courtroom. That’s the realityâ?¦.He will be killed by us or he will be killed by his own people, so he’s not captured by us. We know that.” Can Holder see the future, or is it more likely the Obama administration new OBL was already dead and would never have to deal with the embarrassment of him getting off on a civilian trial.

OBL is just the U.S.'s very own version of Emmanuel Goldstein that the Obama administration finally decided to lay to rest

The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.

As for factors of election effect, anyone who watched his press conference is well-aware that the President worked a little overtime trying to play up the “me, I, me” angle, so the President is concerned with the optics of this for re-election, but I think optics or not, he made the right decision to keep the photos confidential.

And, no, OBL deserved no trial, and our interests would have never been served by putting him through a trial.

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.[/quote]

But, but, but, this was supposed to be the asministration of transparency!

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.[/quote]

But, but, but, this was supposed to be the asministration of transparency![/quote]

Yeah, and by transparency I’m sure they meant releasing photos of corpses for the sole purpose of satisfying the morbid lust of triumphant sofa-soldiers all over America.

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.[/quote]

But, but, but, this was supposed to be the asministration of transparency![/quote]

Yeah, and by transparency I’m sure they meant releasing photos of corpses for the sole purpose of satisfying the morbid lust of triumphant sofa-soldiers all over America.[/quote]

No, no, no, no, you are transparent, whatever someone else makes of that information is their business.

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.[/quote]

But, but, but, this was supposed to be the asministration of transparency![/quote]

Yeah, and by transparency I’m sure they meant releasing photos of corpses for the sole purpose of satisfying the morbid lust of triumphant sofa-soldiers all over America.[/quote]

No, no, no, no, you are transparent, whatever someone else makes of that information is their business.

[/quote]

No, no, no, no. Transparency is about releasing a lucid and accurate account of what happened. A picture of the body does nothing to add to the public understanding.

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]orion wrote:

[quote]smh23 wrote:

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.
[/quote]

I agree completely. As he said, we don’t trot this shit out as a trophy.[/quote]

But, but, but, this was supposed to be the asministration of transparency![/quote]

Yeah, and by transparency I’m sure they meant releasing photos of corpses for the sole purpose of satisfying the morbid lust of triumphant sofa-soldiers all over America.[/quote]

No, no, no, no, you are transparent, whatever someone else makes of that information is their business.

[/quote]

No, no, no, no. Transparency is about releasing a lucid and accurate account of what happened. A picture of the body does nothing to add to the public understanding.[/quote]

I couldn’t agree more with you. All the clamor about releasing the photo generally revolves around morbid fascination.

Good call.

I want to see it. It will not provoke violence that would not occur anyway.

[quote]Makavali wrote:

That in itself may be what gets him re-elected. People will look back on this and say “this motherfucker did his job and didn’t brag about it”.[/quote]

You didn’t see his speech then. I did these, I did that…

You want to see it. So do I. But that doesn’t mean it would be a good decision.

Good post tbolt.

I will say, after trillions of dollars spent in these wars, I think a photo is not too much to ask for.

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
The President is exactly right in not releasing the photos. He shouldn’t indulge in what amounts to a kind of pornography by putting the pictures in the public realm. This was good judgment by Obama.

As for factors of election effect, anyone who watched his press conference is well-aware that the President worked a little overtime trying to play up the “me, I, me” angle, so the President is concerned with the optics of this for re-election, but I think optics or not, he made the right decision to keep the photos confidential.

And, no, OBL deserved no trial, and our interests would have never been served by putting him through a trial.[/quote]

Agree on paragraph one, thank you for sharing about paragraph two, but the last statement I disagree with. Aside from the possibility of him having useful information, I’m not sure what your basis is for saying he “deserved no trial”.

inb4 idiocy, yes I know he was a bad guy and he did bad things. He was a criminal and would have been found guilty, and put to death.

[quote]Big Banana wrote:

[quote]Makavali wrote:

That in itself may be what gets him re-elected. People will look back on this and say “this motherfucker did his job and didn’t brag about it”.[/quote]

You didn’t see his speech then. I did these, I did that…[/quote]

I watched it live. Yes, he used “I did” a lot, but I’ve seen much worse from politicians. Obama knows how to use a speech.

[quote]CappedAndPlanIt wrote:
inb4 idiocy, yes I know he was a bad guy and he did bad things. He was a criminal and would have been found guilty, and put to death.[/quote]

I can’t say I agree with this part.