# Attempt to assassinate Obama foiled. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846 "2008-10-27T21:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/41 "2008-10-28T01:33:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I believe high powered rifle bullets travel faster than sound; it would be rather difficult to detect a bullet. That was my first thought, too; indeed, I think assassin bullets are often packed to fire at subsonic speeds to prevent the telltale crack of a sonic boom. However, such a system is still plausible, if it’s hooked to microphones in various locations. Bullets travel faster than sound, but not faster than electricity; if the sound wave hits a microphone, and the microphone triggers the barrier, it could conceivably get up before the bullet arrives. I have no idea if it could work, but it’s an interesting idea. As for the cowardice, there’s a wonderful story in [Blood Done Sign My Name](http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Done-Sign-My-Name/dp/0609610589), in which the Klan is having a rally near Robeson County, NC (home of the Lumbee tribe). In the middle of the gun-wavin, Indian-killin (or at least Indian-killin-braggin) rally, somebody shot the lights out, and a bunch of war whoops erupted from the woods. A few of the local Lumbee youth totally routed the Klan with a prank attack. It was beautiful. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/42 "2008-10-28T01:42:29Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I think we need to come up with new names. Racist? Or loony nut-job? > > One sits on the couch and says “damn minorities are stealing our jobs!” The other plots mass murder. > > They definitely need different names, or we risk Godwinizing drunk uncle Ned. What part of “We’re going to try to kill Barack Obama and 102 other niggers.” did you not understand?\* Not Obama and 102 other people, whoever they may be. Not Obama and 102 early-birds at Lowenstein’s Luncheonette. Not Obama and 102 other guys in white tuxedos and top hats. - Notwithstanding the wackiness and disorganization of the plan as described and not an actual, direct quote, but still. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/43 "2008-10-28T01:44:57Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Six people? The ideal number for these things is _three_. Any more than that, and its difficult to keep things quiet. (“Three can keep a secret if two are dead.” Ben Franklin.) Robert Heinlein noted that “More than three people can’t agree on where to have dinner, let alone plan a revolution”. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I believe high powered rifle bullets travel faster than sound; it would be rather difficult to detect a bullet. You could set it to react to a flash of light of the wavelength (or mix thereof, anyway) of the light flash a gunshot, and thereby pick up only gunshots, rather than camera flashes. That’s theoretically possible. Deployment would be a bitch, though. I suppose if you can get _anything_ in the way of a bullet, though, it’ll decrease the damage on impact. EDIT: **Left Hand of Dorkness** also raises interesting points. I think some _sniper_ rounds are designed to be subsonic, not assassin bullets specifically, though that’s a pure nitpick and reinforces your point. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/44 "2008-10-28T01:52:48Z")
I don’t think we have much to worry about. Even if he does get assassinated, he’ll just rise again in 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/45 "2008-10-28T02:05:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I believe high powered rifle bullets travel faster than sound; it would be rather difficult to detect a bullet. That’s assuming it operates off of the sound of a gunshot. I don’t recall what the article on it said, and those details may have been deliberately inaccurate to make it that much harder for someone to figure out how to defeat the system. > [@](#): > > I thought he landed on the White House lawn. [In checking, it was sort of on the lawn, the tree, and part of the White House.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/008_frank_corder_cessna.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/46 "2008-10-28T02:25:26Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > That’s assuming it operates off of the sound of a gunshot. I can’t think on any other way to work it. Perhaps you could discriminate between the sound of a gunshot and a car back fire with digital analysis. Sounds would vary on the caliber and distance. I would think that muzzle flash would vary again given caliber and lighting. It’s been, hell, sixteen years, but I remember Clinton’s limo being followed down Louisiana street with a black SUV presumably full of SS guys. A slight hijack; driving to work avoiding the road blocks in Little Rock while Clinton was running for President, I narrowly avoided a car with Tennessee plates going the wrong way down Center street, unknowingly headed directly for the Governor’s mansion. I wonder at the judgment of the Secret Service guys, not blowing this station wagon away. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/47 "2008-10-28T02:36:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I can’t think on any other way to work it. Perhaps you could discriminate between the sound of a gunshot and a car back fire with digital analysis. Sounds would vary on the caliber and distance. I would think that muzzle flash would vary again given caliber and lighting. What about radar? I’ve read claims that they can now resolve details down to the size of a raindrop. Don’t know if that’s true, but surely your typical high powered bullet is slightly larger than a raindrop. We also don’t know if they can set the gear up just “anywhere” or if the location has to have certain qualities about it. (Say, perhaps, indoors where the likelihood of a car backfiring would be unlikely to create a false positive.) > [@](#): > > It’s been, hell, sixteen years, but I remember Clinton’s limo being followed down Louisiana street with a black SUV presumably full of SS guys. Are you sure Clinton was in the limo and not the SUV? Standard practice in high risk areas is to use decoy vehicles from what I understand. I wouldn’t be surprised if they used decoy motorcades in some places, with the media being fed misleading info. > [@](#): > > A slight hijack; driving to work avoiding the road blocks in Little Rock while Clinton was running for President, I narrowly avoided a car with Tennessee plates going the wrong way down Center street, unknowingly headed directly for the Governor’s mansion. I wonder at the judgment of the Secret Service guys, not blowing this station wagon away. 🙂 Well, Clinton didn’t have quite the ire raised against him during the campaign that he acquired later on. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/48 "2008-10-28T02:39:53Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I don’t know about that. The SS guys aren’t exactly _stupid_, and they’ve been working hard at protecting Bush from terrorists for a number of years now, so its not like having the threat level against a President has suddenly shot up. Terrorists have no reason to kill Bush; he’s been a boon to them. And the present day American left is far less thuggish than the Right. And it’s going be harder to protect Obama from crazies who live here, and fit in. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/49 "2008-10-28T02:41:19Z")
On second thought, it really wouldn’t have mattered if they’d succeeded in assassinating Obama. He just would’ve risen up again in three days. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/50 "2008-10-28T02:45:22Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I love the idea of a whiskey flask in a hip pocket, a gun in a shoulder holster, and a pack of Luckies in the shirt packet. Throw on a pair of Ray Bans and an ATF jacket-- oh man, the chicks go wild. 🙂 You’d also need to be toting a grenade-- they are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms **and Explosives** these days, you know. All the lovely ladies be crazy for HMX det cord. “Hey baby, is that a pipe bomb in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Their motto: _ATF(&E!): We just keep getting more fucking awesome._ Next year, they plan on upgrading to “Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives and Hookers.” ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/51 "2008-10-28T02:50:58Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Terrorists have no reason to kill Bush; he’s been a boon to them. And the present day American left is far less thuggish than the Right. And if terrorists killed Bush while Cheney was in office, do you think we’d all just say, “Its a fair cop” and pack our bags and go home? No, we’d go in even more heavy handed than we are now. > [@](#): > > And it’s going be harder to protect Obama from crazies who live here, and fit in. So do you think the various terrorist groups in Iraq run around with signs around their necks announcing their affiliation with whichever group and who they’re planning on killing? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/52 "2008-10-28T02:55:34Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > On second thought, it really wouldn’t have mattered if they’d succeeded in assassinating Obama. He just would’ve risen up again in three days. 47 minutes late and a dollar short. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/53 "2008-10-28T03:09:58Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > What about radar? Whatever the difficulty of discriminating a bullet from noise, flashbulbs or raindrops, the major difficulty seems to me to be calculating where the threat is coming from and moving a barrier up in time to deflect a bullet moving at 740 mph. I’d love to work on the control system, though. > [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Are you sure Clinton was in the limo and not the SUV? Could be. We had just closed up the library and were walking to the parking lot. My fellow employees were cheering him, and I was yelling “Boo!” (I had issues with him over used car sales taxes including my house, which had tires on it) I began looking up at the surrounding buildings and wondered if there were SS snipers up there, and shut up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/54 "2008-10-28T03:15:39Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > And if terrorists killed Bush while Cheney was in office, do you think we’d all just say, “Its a fair cop” and pack our bags and go home? No, we’d go in even more heavy handed than we are now. Damn straight, Cheney would nuke Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, everything except Saudi Arabia and Israel. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/55 "2008-10-28T03:20:20Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > And if terrorists killed Bush while Cheney was in office, do you think we’d all just say, “Its a fair cop” and pack our bags and go home? No, we’d go in even more heavy handed than we are now. So they’d have put in a lot of effort in order to stay in the same place. Why bother ? > [@Tuckerfan](#): > > So do you think the various terrorist groups in Iraq run around with signs around their necks announcing their affiliation with whichever group and who they’re planning on killing? :dubious: Considering the kind of defenses involved, and his tendency to show up in safe zones without warning beforehand and then running off, I doubt he was in any more danger than I am sitting here. They can’t get away with killing someone just for getting out of a car in America like they do in Iraq. I doubt that any Iraqi who wasn’t vetted multiple times as a collaborator would be allowed to even see him from a distance without getting hosed down with gunfire. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/56 "2008-10-28T03:23:16Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Whatever the difficulty of discriminating a bullet from noise, flashbulbs or raindrops, the major difficulty seems to me to be calculating where the threat is coming from and moving a barrier up in time to deflect a bullet moving at 740 mph. I’d love to work on the control system, though. The illustration I saw for the piece had multiple barriers coming up from different angles. I don’t think that in the early models (assuming its not just vaporware) they would bother trying to figure out _where_ the bullet was coming from, just that one was coming. The additional shields would also provide a visual distraction, obscuring the President as the SS agents shoved him out of harm’s way. > [@](#): > > Could be. We had just closed up the library and were walking to the parking lot. My fellow employees were cheering him, and I was yelling “Boo!” (I had issues with him over used car sales taxes including my house, which had tires on it) I began looking up at the surrounding buildings and wondered if there were SS snipers up there, and shut up. 🙂 Ah. > [@](#): > > Damn straight, Cheney would nuke Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, everything except Saudi Arabia and Israel. Actually, I think even Nancy Pelosi would back wider operations if Bush had gotten whacked in Iraq. You’ll note, however, I was responding to **Der Trihs** , who is not exactly what one would call “rational” when it comes to things like US military involvement in Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/57 "2008-10-28T03:31:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > So they’d have put in a lot of effort in order to stay in the same place. Why bother ? For the same reason they went after the WTC: To egg us on. The guys we’re fighting aren’t exactly what you’d call “sane.” I mean, anyone who’s idea of an afterlife involves _virgins_ is, well, fucking stupid. Not to mention, instead of us turning tail and hiding, we promptly _flattened_ two countries and yet they keep fighting us. You’d think that by now they’d learn Allah’s _not_ on their side. > [@](#): > > Considering the kind of defenses involved, and his tendency to show up in safe zones without warning beforehand and then running off, I doubt he was in any more danger than I am sitting here. And do you think they’ll treat Obama any different here in the US? > [@](#): > > They can’t get away with killing someone just for getting out of a car in America like they do in Iraq. No, but they can shut multiple interstates down for miles, run several different motorcades on seemingly random courses through a city, so that one has no idea which one is the right one, and they can (and probably will) give out false final destinations and arrival times. > [@](#): > > I doubt that any Iraqi who wasn’t vetted multiple times as a collaborator would be allowed to even see him from a distance without getting hosed down with gunfire. And I doubt if they’re letting people get anywhere near Obama without being ran through a metal detector. He’s also probably wearing a bullet proof vest some of the time. Remember, Obama’s clearly **not** stupid, and he no doubt knows that there’s someone out there itching to put a bullet in him, and Obama knows what would happen to this country if that were going to happen. He’s **not** going to put himself at unnecessary risk if he doesn’t have to. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/58 "2008-10-28T03:32:53Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Ah. Some of us believed the black SUV to be full of reporters. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/59 "2008-10-28T03:38:25Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > For the same reason they went after the WTC: To egg us on. The guys we’re fighting aren’t exactly what you’d call “sane.” I mean, anyone who’s idea of an afterlife involves _virgins_ is, well, fucking stupid. Not to mention, instead of us turning tail and hiding, we promptly _flattened_ two countries and yet they keep fighting us. You’d think that by now they’d learn Allah’s _not_ on their side. We’ve handed them victory after victory. They lost a disposable base in the form of Afghanistan, and Iraq was their ENEMY. And we crippled ourselves in the process. They have no need to “egg us on”, as long as we keep doing what they want. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846/60 "2008-10-28T03:42:04Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Afghanistan, and Iraq was their ENEMY. And we crippled ourselves in the process. They have no need to “egg us on”, as long as we keep doing what they want. Indeed, Sir. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attempt-to-assassinate-obama-foiled/469846.md?page=4)