# Will the Fort Hood trial have a political effect on President Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666 "2013-08-08T02:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/21 "2013-08-09T00:23:06Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I don’t think Hasan will last very long in prison. As a quadriplegic, he’ll be easy prey, and he actually killed 14 people, because one of the victims was pregnant, and inmates don’t like people who harm women and children. Plus, it wouldn’t be difficult for medical personnel to accidentally on purpose give him inadequate medical care. Paraplegic. He’s been in prison for several years now, and is doing just fine. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/22 "2013-08-09T03:54:32Z")
A friend of mine was an observer in the courtroom today, and _holy shit_. It’s bad. You already knew it was bad from the news, but hearing the details first hand from the survivors, it’s really, really bad, bone chillingly bad. I have zero doubt that he’s going to get the death penalty. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/23 "2013-08-09T04:56:20Z")
[Wow.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/justice/hasan-court-martial/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) The standby defense team is begging to get off the case. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to sit there and watch the guy attempt judicial suicide. Really would not want to be one of those guys, but I agree with the Judge. She really can’t let them out at this point. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/24 "2013-08-09T05:01:16Z")
[This story](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fort-hood-20130809,0,5363691.story?page=1) contains the testimony my friend heard today. Grisly, nightmare stuff, and just flat out heartbreaking. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/25 "2013-08-09T05:28:33Z")
Also [this one](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/08/fort-hood-hasan-massacre/2631341/). ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/26 "2013-08-09T18:28:32Z")
I think Obama will lose as many voters from his liberal base over an execution as voters he’ll gain from conservatives because of it > [@Oakminster](#): > > [Wow.](http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/justice/hasan-court-martial/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) The standby defense team is begging to get off the case. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to sit there and watch the guy attempt judicial suicide. Really would not want to be one of those guys, but I agree with the Judge. She really can’t let them out at this point. I read about that too and honestly, I’m wondering why they don’t just let him try to hang himself? Its one thing to be doing your job because you are assigned to by the law, but its another to totally go against the wishes of the actual person you’re doing the job for. If I were a defense attorney, I’d let him hang himself and just go through the motions. I can’t even believe this would be a possible reason for a mistrial down the line! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/27 "2013-08-09T18:41:36Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I read about that too and honestly, I’m wondering why they don’t just let him try to hang himself? Its one thing to be doing your job because you are assigned to by the law, but its another to totally go against the wishes of the actual person you’re doing the job for. If I were a defense attorney, I’d let him hang himself and just go through the motions. Then you wouldn’t be a defense attorney. 😉 I think from a professional standpoint or an ethical standpoint they just don’t want to be part of this. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/28 "2013-08-09T18:59:00Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I’m wondering why they don’t just let him try to hang himself? Then he wouldn’t be a martyr for Islam, and get all the goodies that go along with that. Besides, Islam has strict proscriptions against suicide. His goal is to be killed by the infidels, not simply to die. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/29 "2013-08-09T19:30:19Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Then you wouldn’t be a defense attorney. 😉 I think from a professional standpoint or an ethical standpoint they just don’t want to be part of this. That’s pretty much it. Hasan seems determined to get the death penalty, and his defense counsel is saying that being forced to assist him in that goal is morally repugnant (their words) and violates their professional ethics. ---
**Author:** ![Conservian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Conservian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conservian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/30 "2013-08-09T21:02:29Z")
[quote=“Drum\_God, post:1, topic:665666”] “So, if that comes to pass, would Obama sign the order? If so, what would be the political consequences if he did? Since he is not running for reelection, do any consequences matter? It seems that if there is big blowback against whatever Obama does on this issue, the eventual Democratic nominee could just claim that he/she would do the opposite.” If there wasn’t any “blowback” against this administration, our military leadership and or whoever else had a hand in downplaying this Islamo-terrorist act as merely some sort of personal psychotic 'episode," then I doubt it will ever materialize. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/31 "2013-08-09T22:07:42Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > That’s pretty much it. Hasan seems determined to get the death penalty, and his defense counsel is saying that being forced to assist him in that goal is morally repugnant (their words) and violates their professional ethics. Assuming military death penalty cases include a penalty phase, I’m wondering what this guy is going to do…refuse to offer any mitigating evidence? maybe insult the mothers of the jury/panel/whatever they call it? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/32 "2013-08-09T22:16:25Z")
> [@Conservian](#): > > If there wasn’t any “blowback” against this administration, our military leadership and or whoever else had a hand in downplaying this Islamo-terrorist act as merely some sort of personal psychotic 'episode," then I doubt it will ever materialize. There was no blowback because only conservatives think this kind of parsing matters. They made these same kind of complaints about the precise wording of Obama’s first comments about Benghazi and nobody cared about those either. At some point they may figure that out that the rest of the public doesn’t attach any importance to that kind of hairsplitting. Meanwhile the prosecutor in this case said Hasan “came to believe he had a jihad duty to kill as many soldiers as possible,” and we’ve all heard plenty about his links to Anwar al-Awlaki- which was one reason al-Awlaki wound up on the wrong end of missile. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/33 "2013-08-09T22:42:48Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I think Obama will lose as many voters from his liberal base over an execution as voters he’ll gain from conservatives because of it And why would this matter? He can’t run for POTUS again, although he could theoretically toss his hat into the ring for other things. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/34 "2013-08-09T22:59:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Assuming military death penalty cases include a penalty phase, I’m wondering what this guy is going to do…refuse to offer any mitigating evidence? maybe insult the mothers of the jury/panel/whatever they call it? Man, I dunno, probably all of the above. All he’s done so far is admit to being the shooter and a muhajadeen in his one minute opening and asked the judge to admonish one witness that she was under oath one time. Probably take the stand during punishment and praise the Taliban and al Qaeda or something. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/35 "2013-08-10T01:36:11Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > The “Fort Hood shooter” is on trial in a military court in Fort Hood. If he is convicted, he may receive the death penalty. Since this sentence would be carried out upon a member of the military and assigned by a military court, the Commander in Chief would have to sign off on the execution. > > So, if that comes to pass, would Obama sign the order? If so, what would be the political consequences if he did? Since he is not running for reelection, do any consequences matter? It seems that if there is big blowback against whatever Obama does on this issue, the eventual Democratic nominee could just claim that he/she would do the opposite. > > What happens if Obama doesn’t sign the order? Would the sentence be converted to life in Federal prison? I would assume that the GOP hawks would scream that Obama doesn’t respect the troops and allows their indiscriminate murder. Yep. Obama is in a lose-lose situation here. I know _I’m_ never going to vote for him again. ---
**Author:** ![Conservian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@Conservian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conservian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/36 "2013-08-10T02:20:04Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There was no blowback because only conservatives think this kind of parsing matters. They made these same kind of complaints about the precise wording of Obama’s first comments about Benghazi and nobody cared about those either. At some point they may figure that out that the rest of the public doesn’t attach any importance to that kind of hairsplitting. Meanwhile the prosecutor in this case said Hasan “came to believe he had a jihad duty to kill as many soldiers as possible,” and we’ve all heard plenty about his links to Anwar al-Awlaki- which was one reason al-Awlaki wound up on the wrong end of missile. When issues of national security play second fiddle to political correctness, and representatives, pundits and voters turn to political gamesmanship over reconciliation, American citizens will continue to die needlessly, both at home and abroad. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/37 "2013-08-10T02:57:04Z")
I’m not even sure how it’s possible for Obama to be negatively affected electorally by anything he does…the man can’t run for President again anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/38 "2013-08-10T02:58:01Z")
> [@Conservian](#): > > When issues of national security play second fiddle to political correctness, and representatives, pundits and voters turn to political gamesmanship over reconciliation, American citizens will continue to die needlessly, both at home and abroad. In this context that means they should do what- executive Hasan twice? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/39 "2013-08-10T03:25:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > There was no blowback because only conservatives think this kind of parsing matters. Come on; you’re better than empty jabs like this. You know as well as any of us that this sort of parsing matters just as much to the administration, whose Department of Homeland Security was careful to expressly classify lone-wolf disgruntled military extremists as terrorists if (and apparently only if) they are motivated by right-wing ideology. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666/40 "2013-08-10T03:52:58Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > You know as well as any of us that this sort of parsing matters just as much to the administration, whose Department of Homeland Security was careful to expressly classify lone-wolf disgruntled military extremists as terrorists if (and apparently only if) they are motivated by right-wing ideology. That’s light years away from what actually happened: the Department of Homeland Security issued a report that said right-wing extremists were looking to expand in the current political and economic climate. It also said they might target veterans for recruitment, which triggered a separate freakout. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-fort-hood-trial-have-a-political-effect-on-president-obama/665666.md?page=3)