I’ve heard comments that we’re just a terrorist attack away from a Trump presidency. But would that make sense for ISIL? (Yeah, I’m assuming that their thought processes are logical.) Would they prefer the “devil you know” (basically a continuation of Obama’s plan) instead of a wild card like Trump? Would the chaos a Trump presidency could bring to the situation work for them? I’m curious if folks think there could be a terrorist attack to try to influence the election.
Well, in 2004 Bin Laden dropped a video tape days before the election. Polls, which had been trending toward Kerry, suddenly showed a swing to Bush.
I always say, the predictable effect is the desired effect.
Are you saying the modern GOP wants Trump to be this far ahead in the nomination race?
ISIL wants Trump because Trump legitimizes them. Trump is every bad thing they say about Western politicians in a bad comb-over. He validates their hatred in the minds of everyone who heard him say Islam hates America. They couldn’t do better on the propaganda front than having Trump in the White House, and, given how dependent they are on recruitment from countries outside ISIL-held land, they need all of the propaganda they can get.
They want an apocalyptic war between all Muslims and the West. Trump is the candidate who most visibly plays into that narrative, though Ted Cruz (who subscribes to a similarly apocalyptic worldview) would do very well also. Daesh would be very happy to see either one triumph.
Exactly. Part of ISIS propaganda is that the United States and other western powers are going to invade the Middle East. ISIS and all true Muslims will then rise up to defend their homeland and destroy the western invaders, bringing about the ISIS version of a better world.
Trump is their greatest propaganda tool. Possibly they realize that he might be just as crazy as they are. I forgot myself for a moment. I just can’t imagine the mind set of anyone who would want a “holy war”. But, yes, ISIL and Trump feed on each other. That could be a very, very bad thing for the whole world.
And then you have the flip side of that where Christian fundamentalists believe this must happen so they can bring about their version of a better world. And each side is trying their damnedest to make this “prophecy” happen.