In Strategery, Sammon also quotes Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman as agreeing that bin Laden's videotape helped Bush. "It reminded people of the stakes," Mehlman said. "It reinforced an issue on which Bush had a big lead over Kerry."
But bin Laden, a student of American politics, surely understood that, too.
Now, as the Republicans face the prospect of losing control of the U.S. Congress, Bush and the RNC are not waiting for bin Laden to show his face again to - in Mehlman's words - remind American voters "of the stakes." Only a couple of weeks before the Nov. 7 elections, Bush and the RNC are doing it for bin Laden - and in the scariest possible terms.
"If we were to leave Iraq before the job is done," Bush said at that Pennsylvania campaign stop, "the enemy would follow us here to America. We know this, because that's what the terrorists tell us."
"These are the stakes," declared the RNC's new ad.
But an examination of what "the terrorists tell us" suggests that al-Qaeda would be delighted to keep bleeding the U.S. military in Iraq, while exploiting the widespread anti-Americanism in the Muslim world that the war has engendered to recruit tens of thousands of young jihadists.
With so many new terrorists in training, there's also no reason to think that the enemy will have to wait for the United States to leave Iraq before sparing a few for attacks outside Iraq or - in Bush's words - to "follow us here to America."
What is at stake in the Nov. 7 elections is whether Bush will continue to have a free hand in prolonging the war in Iraq and possibly spreading the conflict to other nations, such as Iran and Syria.
As for Iraq, despite the mounting death toll and the deepening chaos, Bush told the Pennsylvania campaign rally: "There is one thing we will not do. We will not pull out our troops from Iraq before the terrorists are defeated. We will not pull out before Iraq can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself."
If those are Bush's standards for withdrawal, it looks to be a very long war indeed.
But bin Laden, a student of American politics, surely understood that, too.
Now, as the Republicans face the prospect of losing control of the U.S. Congress, Bush and the RNC are not waiting for bin Laden to show his face again to - in Mehlman's words - remind American voters "of the stakes." Only a couple of weeks before the Nov. 7 elections, Bush and the RNC are doing it for bin Laden - and in the scariest possible terms.
"If we were to leave Iraq before the job is done," Bush said at that Pennsylvania campaign stop, "the enemy would follow us here to America. We know this, because that's what the terrorists tell us."
But an examination of what "the terrorists tell us" suggests that al-Qaeda would be delighted to keep bleeding the U.S. military in Iraq, while exploiting the widespread anti-Americanism in the Muslim world that the war has engendered to recruit tens of thousands of young jihadists.
With so many new terrorists in training, there's also no reason to think that the enemy will have to wait for the United States to leave Iraq before sparing a few for attacks outside Iraq or - in Bush's words - to "follow us here to America."
What is at stake in the Nov. 7 elections is whether Bush will continue to have a free hand in prolonging the war in Iraq and possibly spreading the conflict to other nations, such as Iran and Syria.
As for Iraq, despite the mounting death toll and the deepening chaos, Bush told the Pennsylvania campaign rally: "There is one thing we will not do. We will not pull out our troops from Iraq before the terrorists are defeated. We will not pull out before Iraq can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself."
If those are Bush's standards for withdrawal, it looks to be a very long war indeed.
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