# So How Will Fox Spin OBL Death? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 2, 2011, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451 "2011-05-02T04:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Cort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cort)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/41 "2011-05-02T11:39:55Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > Obama did what Bush couldn’t, how is Fox going to make him pay for it? I don’t know for sure, but I reckon it’s a safe bet that one of the first things they’re going to try and do is take control of the narrative by angrily insisting that the liberal media is “Using this great military victory as an excuse to fawn over Obama”. Expect to hear a lot of “Messiah” nonsense over the next few days. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/42 "2011-05-02T11:46:51Z")
Look, there is no doubt that the greatest credit goes to the actual team that went in and got the job done. But it’s also true that the Patriots don’t point to all that Pete Carroll did to lead to their Super Bowl success. Obama is commander in chief. He made the calls, and this happened on his watch. He did what Bush failed to do. There’s just no other way to spin it. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/43 "2011-05-02T11:52:17Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Look, there is no doubt that the greatest credit goes to the actual team that went in and got the job done. But it’s also true that the Patriots don’t point to all that Pete Carroll did to lead to their Super Bowl success. > > Obama is commander in chief. He made the calls, and this happened on his watch. He did what Bush failed to do. There’s just no other way to spin it. I’d agree with this summary. I would not have included the “Bush failed” line, although it’s obviously true, because it suggests that Obama’s success is unambiguously due to some strategy or tactic Obama did that Bush did not do. But in the end, it’s hard to argue with the facts: Obama did it; Bush didn’t. Obama gets the credit. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/44 "2011-05-02T12:06:23Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’d agree with this summary. > > I would not have included the “Bush failed” line, although it’s obviously true, because it suggests that Obama’s success is unambiguously due to some strategy or tactic Obama did that Bush did not do. But in the end, it’s hard to argue with the facts: Obama did it; Bush didn’t. Obama gets the credit. Look, Carter gets tagged to some degree for the miserable failure of Operation Eagle Claw. Right or wrong, the success or failure that occurs under a President’s watch tends to go to him (but see the failures of 9/11 or financial ruin of 2008). In whatever way he had to do things to see a job done, Bush failed. He even went so far to say that it was no longer a priority. No soup for him. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/45 "2011-05-02T12:42:58Z")
> [@2ply](#): > > There’s going to be right wing outrage Monday over bin Laden’s body being handled “according to Islamic tradition.” Yeah, I thought that too when I read the report of his burial. I think we have a winner. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/46 "2011-05-02T12:49:53Z")
How long before the conspiracy theories start: 1. Is wasn’t really Bin Laden, when they found out that’s why they buried the body so fast. 2. It was really his son, which was why the DNA matched, so they made the announcement, but then found their error and it was too late. [wackynews.com](http://wackynews.com) headline in 2060: 103 year old Osama Bin Laden found living in Kandahar… ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/47 "2011-05-02T12:53:28Z")
Fox News has really been pushing the “Intelligence was gathered from Gitmo detainees” theme, followed by “can you imagine if we would have closed it like [that pussy] Obama wanted to?” Of course, none of them that I’ve seen have the balls to come out and say _torture_ was responsible and we should always\* torture\*" - but they are implying the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/48 "2011-05-02T13:10:31Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > Fox News has really been pushing the “Intelligence was gathered from Gitmo detainees” theme, followed by “can you imagine if we would have closed it like [that pussy] Obama wanted to?” Of course, none of them that I’ve seen have the balls to come out and say _torture_ was responsible and we should always\* torture\*" - but they are implying the hell out of it. What the Hell? How could Gitmo prisoners, years into seclusion, have any clues what the fuck Osama was doing half a world away?!! ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/49 "2011-05-02T13:24:57Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > What the Hell? How could Gitmo prisoners, years into seclusion, have any clues what the fuck Osama was doing half a world away?!! Not commenting on Gitmo prisoners or who provided the info, but just the length of time. I read they learned the name of one of Bin Laden’s couriers in 2007. They followed that lead which ultimately concluded into the events of yesterday. I didn’t hear this on Fox, but at this stage it’s really too early for “facts.” Here’s an example timeline: [CNN Timeline](http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/05/02/bin.laden.raid.timeline/) > [@](#): > > The operation that led to the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden took shape after detainees identified a trusted bin Laden courier as someone who may have been living with and protecting the militant leader, senior administration officials told reporters. > > That courier became a key lead in locating bin Laden, the officials said. > > The officials provided details on the origins of the operation and the raid that led to bin Laden’s killing: > > - Four years ago: Officials uncovered the courier’s identity. > > - Two years ago: Investigators identified areas of Pakistan where the courier and his brother lived. > > [rest of article finishes timeline] ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/50 "2011-05-02T13:42:16Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > How long before the conspiracy theories start: > > 1. Is wasn’t really Bin Laden, when they found out that’s why they buried the body so fast. > 2. It was really his son, which was why the DNA matched, so they made the announcement, but then found their error and it was too late. I heard lots of “just asking questions” calls like this on local right-wing talk during my commute. “I’m suspicious of the timing.” “If they killed him last week, why are they just announcing it now?” “Why did they bury him at sea? What are they hiding?” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/51 "2011-05-02T13:43:03Z")
Well, news of the announcement cut into Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” last night, so I’m sure that’ll give the Fox News Douchebags TM something to grouse about. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/52 "2011-05-02T14:01:11Z")
Ultimately, I imagine the spin will be “all credit goes to the US armed forces” followed by OUTRAGE if Obama ever (however obliquely) attempts to take any credit (as well as OUTRAGE at anyone on the D side of the aisle who attempts to give Obama any credit). ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/53 "2011-05-02T14:04:25Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Ultimately, I imagine the spin will be “all credit goes to the US armed forces” followed by OUTRAGE if Obama ever (however obliquely) attempts to take any credit (as well as OUTRAGE at anyone on the D side of the aisle who attempts to give Obama any credit). Outrageous! Sounds like Fox News is run by Aquaman. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/54 "2011-05-02T14:05:53Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > Just based on this quote from your post, you are a total asshole. It says plenty about you. Please go away. You’re out of line for this forum. This is a formal warning: in the future save this kind of thing for the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/55 "2011-05-02T14:08:02Z")
So I think we have it: > [@](#): > > After Clinton failed to get OBL before 9/11, Bush courageously called off a raid on OBL that would have been politically popular because of the potential causalities. Years later, while OBL was no longer a threat, Obama succumbed to political pressure and killed him in a last, desperate attempt to divert attention from his fake birth certificate. ETA: That is not a real quote ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/56 "2011-05-02T14:13:31Z")
If you go to the Fox News homepage right now, you’ll see a picture of GWB with the headline “Bush: Killing Bin Laden ‘A Victory for America.’” Below that in small print, they have another headline that reads “Obama Confirms Terror Head is Dead.” Doing a Control F search, I see that and another headline saying “Mixed reviews for Obama’s emergency response” in regard to the tornados in Alabama, are the only references to him on the home page. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/57 "2011-05-02T14:14:26Z")
> [@sh1bu1](#): > > So I think we have it: > > ETA: That is not a real quote But it soon will be. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/58 "2011-05-02T14:34:05Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > If you go to the Fox News homepage right now, you’ll see a picture of GWB with the headline “Bush: Killing Bin Laden ‘A Victory for America.’” > > Below that in small print, they have another headline that reads “Obama Confirms Terror Head is Dead.” Right underneath that photo, it also says “Former president commends his successor and the military on ‘this momentous achievement’.” So with all due respect, if that’s meant to be an example of pro-Bush, anti-Obama spin, it’s not a very good one. ---
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/59 "2011-05-02T14:35:50Z")
It’s not anti-Obama spin. But it is sort of odd to give Bush top billing over Obama on this one. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451/60 "2011-05-02T14:36:57Z")
> [@MilTan](#): > > It’s not anti-Obama spin. But it is sort of odd to give Bush top billing over Obama on this one. It was Bush that tricked OBL into attacking us and giving justification to kill him. Give credit where it is due. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-will-fox-spin-obl-death/580451.md?page=4)