President Obama's campaign ad touting the fact that he made the call to have Osama bin Laden killed (actually he made the call to have an Admiral make the call but let's not quibble) has created some controversy but I think the people complaining about the ad miss an important point. Yes President Obama said that bragging about killing bin Laden would be the equivalent of spiking the football but spiking the football can sometimes be awesome (as Rob Gronkowski keeps reminding us). Yes every President would have made the same call (even Jimmy Carter).
The thing people are over-looking is the timing. It was just revealed that Barack Obama has been to more fund raising events than all of the previous 20th century Presidents combined. President Obama also recently changed a $3 raffle from dinner with him to dinner with him and George Clooney (the equivalent of a late night pitch artist offering to double your order of Sham-Wow if you order today). There's a reason for all the events and needing George Clooney. The President is having trouble raising money.
His advisers know that his poll numbers received a bump when news of bin Laden's death were first announced. They also know that bump only lasted so long. Bringing up bin Laden's death will probably result in another bump but Obama's advisers must know that it is bound to be smaller and of less duration than the original. Why go for that bump now? Why not use that bump closer to the election? Using it now will probably just serve to fatigue the voters in the long run. "Yeah yeah - you made a phone call and killed bin Laden, you've told us a million times now but that still doesn't help my unemployed son get a job."
I think the reason President Obama is touting killing bin Laden now is simple. He's having trouble raising money. Yes - Republicans are right to complain that even Jimmy Carter would have made that same call but in their heart of hearts they should be a little pleased because the ad tips Obama's hand. Team Obama is worried because they got nothing else to sell. Obamacare? The Stimulus? Doubling the price of gas at the pump? Having killed bin Laden is the only trick their pony knows.
The President is having trouble raising money. That probably would not have been the case if he didn't spend the last 3-years blowing through all of our cash (and the cash of future generations).
