I live in a suburb of Houston where many of my heighbors work for the oil industry. One of my grandson's friends came by the other day and we got to talking about his father's job with an oil comany.
At one point, this young man volunteered that his father had told him that he had some kind of security clearance and was privy to things that might be happening in the near future. One of those things was that we would be going to war soon.
This young man didn't know who we would be going to war with, just that it is going to happen.
Of course, one naturally comes to the assumption that a new war would probably be with Iran. And, by extention, one can also assume, considering the past behavior of the Bush adminstration, the possibility that this war might be initiated before the election of a new president.
An October surprise?
This kind of surprise would certainly put both presidential candidates in an awkward position. Especially the Obama campaign.
McCain would, obviously, find it easier to support the actions of his fellow Republican. Especially since he is, basically, on the same wave-length as Bush.
Obama, on the other hand, would be forced to follow a policy that he does not claim to adhere to.
We can see whose presidential aspirations would be enhanced by a surprise war with Iran.
On the other hand, even McCain's dream of ascendency might be hamstrung by an attempt by the Bush people to suspend the election due to there being a National Emergency.
How McCain would respond to such an eventuality is not entirely clear.
History tells us that an election was held during the Civil War, whereby Lincoln could have been thrown out of the White House.
On the other hand, Roosevelt was allowed more than two terms during World War II.
It is popular to state that after 9/II everything changed. This attitude has permitted much that is questionable, both in our moral behavior and in the bending of our Constitution.
Are we on the cusp of another moral and Constitution bending endeavor, perpetrated by the most morally offensive and Consitution threatening administration this country has ever known?
And how will the two candidates, and the American people, respond to an October Surprise?
