Will the Libya Crisis Help Obama or Romney?

[Joe Biden is your president. Deal with it.]

?

[7,052,770]

Obama, unless he screws it up

[Vosem]

Seems like it helps Romney; it's not big enough to provoke a rally-round-the-flag event but it's big enough to say 'look at this presidential failure'. Right now Romney is handling it pretty poorly, so it may help nobody. It has to get bigger before there is a path to making this a positive for Obama, though. Voted Romney, but 'nobody' is more likely.

[Yank2133]

Obama.

Mitt already ****ed up so by default this helps the President.

[Devils30]

Neither...by september 20 its forgotten news.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I doubt there will be any major effect.

[Likely Voter]

I don't see how it can help Romney. Outside the Fox news bubble, no one thinks that crazy Islamists attacking embassies is Obama's fault. And what little Mitt Romney has shown on how he deals with FP only makes him appear to be someone who could end up getting us into another war, something Americans certainly don't want.

[Mehmentum]

Unless this situation drags out for an extended period of time, I don't see how it will hurt Obama.  Romney's poor handling of the situation makes me lean towards it hurting Romney if anybody, but most likely Romney's comments will have little long term effect, being forgotten by the next news cycle.

[Marokai Backbeat]

My problem with who I think this will help is that I tend to foolishly expect the American public to react to things coherently, consistent with past beliefs and statements. From an objective point of view, I don't see any way this helps Romney. Polls regularly state that Obama, by far, is more trusted to handle foreign affairs, Romney has absolutely no coherent foreign policy positions or general approach in contrast to Obama who has a very cool-headed and efficient foreign policy, Romney has horribly bungled every foreign policy issue that has faced him in the last year, including this one, and Obama has handled this situation as well as you could expect a President to, with a much cooler head than any other mainstream Republican would have.

When looked at through a mature lens, everything seems to point toward helping Obama and nothing suggests Romney will benefit from it. But the American public are irrational and can change their opinions on a dime, which is why I'm always worried that things won't go the way they should.

[mondale84]

Anyone who thinks Romney's trigger-happy and flippant foreign "policy" attitude will help him in this time of crisis is higher than the Freedom Tower, or they're being blatant trolls - which with the right-wingers around here isn't surprising...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Neither.

[Zioneer]

Helps neither, but hurts Romney.

[Maxwell]

Needs a helps Gary Johnson option

(hackery)

Doesn't help anyone, hurts Obama a little and Romney a lot.

[Ljube]

It hurts Obama. The longer it drags out the worse it is for the President.

[Marokai Backbeat]

It hurts Obama. The longer it drags out the worse it is for the President.

What data do you have to claim this?

[Landslide Lyndon]

Neither...by september 20 its forgotten news.

This.

Remember the hot mic incident with Medvedev?

[King]

Obama's won the early spin and it will be forgotten in a few weeks.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Mitt already made an ass of himself. While the rest of the country was mourning the diplomats who were killed, Mitt was rubbing salt in the wound and trying to make it a political issue. It didn't make Obama look weak; it just reinforced the public perception of Romney as a mean-spirited person who completely lacks empathy.

There's no hostage situation going on. Other than ratcheting up security around embassies in "unstable" Islamic countries, what else is there to do? I don't think any reasonable person thinks Obama was supposed to personally go to Libya and storm through Benghazi, guns blazing, and indiscriminately shoot a bunch of Libyans before sticking American flags in their bodies while fireworks go off in the background, eagles soar overhead and a "F*** YEAH AMERICA" banner unfurls behind him.

[Ljube]

It hurts Obama. The longer it drags out the worse it is for the President.

What data do you have to claim this?

It’s just my opinion. We’ll see if I’m right or wrong in the next round of polling.
The Obama administration is trying to appease the protesters in the Arab spring countries by condemning the questionable movie. By doing so, they are in essence accepting the blame for the protests and apologizing to the protesters for provoking them.
I think that will make the Obama administration appear weak, particularly if the protests drag out, and give Romney, who is lightweight on foreign policy, some ammunition.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

It hurts Obama. The longer it drags out the worse it is for the President.

What data do you have to claim this?

It’s just my opinion. We’ll see if I’m right or wrong in the next round of polling.
The Obama administration is trying to appease the protesters in the Arab spring countries by condemning the questionable movie. By doing so, they are in essence accepting the blame for the protests and apologizing to the protesters for provoking them.
I think that will make the Obama administration appear weak, particularly if the protests drag out, and give Romney, who is lightweight on foreign policy, some ammunition.

Considering the state of Romney's campaign so far, if Obama were to give him ammunition, he'd probably use them as Monopoly game pieces.

[AmericanNation]

3 embassies in 2 days, an ambassador dead, and on the aniversery of 9-11 to boot is a pretty big deal and won't be "forgotten" anywhere near as much as "I will transmit this to Vladimir" which isn't forgotten it just isn't focused on.   

Given how half the country saw this coming makes it a major problem for Obama's foreign policy credibility.  BO handled his response(s) so poorly many people were physically ill / boiling at the situation.  3 major acts of war against the United States and Obama says "It's a bad day, hey I'm off to campaign in Vegas!"

The Romney situation is weird because the media went kamikaze on him for no apparent reason other than hackery.  Everything Romney said was true and well timed.  Frankly he needed to be President on 9-11 and 4 Americans might well be alive.  Not to mention American prestige would be much better.             

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

3 embassies in 2 days, an ambassador dead, and on the aniversery of 9-11 to boot is a pretty big deal and won't be "forgotten" anywhere near as much as "I will transmit this to Vladimir" which isn't forgotten it just isn't focused on.   

Given how half the country saw this coming makes it a major problem for Obama's foreign policy credibility.  BO handled his response(s) so poorly many people were physically ill / boiling at the situation.  3 major acts of war against the United States and Obama says "It's a bad day, hey I'm off to campaign in Vegas!"

The Romney situation is weird because the media went kamikaze on him for no apparent reason other than hackery.  Everything Romney said was true and well timed.  Frankly he needed to be President on 9-11 and 4 Americans might well be alive.  Not to mention American prestige would be much better.             

Everyone, this guy ^^ talks about people living in a bubble.

Seriously.

[patrick1]

3 embassies in 2 days, an ambassador dead, and on the aniversery of 9-11 to boot is a pretty big deal and won't be "forgotten" anywhere near as much as "I will transmit this to Vladimir" which isn't forgotten it just isn't focused on.  

Given how half the country saw this coming makes it a major problem for Obama's foreign policy credibility.  BO handled his response(s) so poorly many people were physically ill / boiling at the situation.  3 major acts of war against the United States and Obama says "It's a bad day, hey I'm off to campaign in Vegas!"

The Romney situation is weird because the media went kamikaze on him for no apparent reason other than hackery.  Everything Romney said was true and well timed.  Frankly he needed to be President on 9-11 and 4 Americans might well be alive.  Not to mention American prestige would be much better.              

Everyone, this guy ^^ talks about people living in a bubble.

Seriously.

I don't know man after reading this and Politico's post about Romney's masculine 6'2 frame, I'm now convinced that Romney would have caught those bullets and RPG's with his teeth  He then would have created 10 American jobs in the auto industry using all that steel.


RIP to the victims and thanks for their service to this country.

[Link]

Obama's won the early spin...

Obama didn't spin anything.  And Obama didn't "win" anything.  A diplomat and several other people are dead.  The only people that "won" were crazy extremists.

3 embassies in 2 days, an ambassador dead, and on the aniversery of 9-11 to boot is a pretty big deal and won't be "forgotten" anywhere near as much as "I will transmit this to Vladimir" which isn't forgotten it just isn't focused on.  

Given how half the country saw this coming makes it a major problem for Obama's foreign policy credibility.  BO handled his response(s) so poorly many people were physically ill / boiling at the situation.  3 major acts of war against the United States and Obama says "It's a bad day, hey I'm off to campaign in Vegas!"

The Romney situation is weird because the media went kamikaze on him for no apparent reason other than hackery.  Everything Romney said was true and well timed.  Frankly he needed to be President on 9-11 and 4 Americans might well be alive.  Not to mention American prestige would be much better.              

Everyone, this guy ^^ talks about people living in a bubble.

Seriously.

I don't know man after reading this and Politico's post about Romney's masculine 6'2 frame, I'm now convinced that Romney would have caught those bullets and RPG's with his teeth  He then would have created 10 American jobs in the auto industry using all that steel.


RIP to the victims and thanks for their service to this country.

^This

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

With the development of several additonal hot spots, Obama is not going to get any help from them.....if Romney gets his head out of his ass and doesn't say anything stupid he'll be helped.  JMO.