A Dash of Farce Thrown In

From the Independent UK:

To describe America's latest terror alert as a silly season folly, filling the airwaves and newspaper pages in the usual high summer absence of real news, would be uncharitable.

But, in the space of 48 hours, what sounded on Sunday like an imminent threat to financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington has metamorphosed into an imbroglio of disarray and confusion, with a dash of farce thrown in....

...The attack was likely to be "in the near term", and there was evidence that terrorists had recently conducted a dry run for the attack on the Prudential. The information was "alarming in both its amount and its specificity," Mr Ridge declared; a "senior intelligence official" told The New York Times that it was "chilling in its scope, detail and breadth". For President Bush, it was further proof that: "We are a nation in danger."

Within a day, the backpedalling had begun. The material was old, some of it culled long ago from the internet. Nor was there evidence that al-Qa'ida had checked the Prudential building in recent weeks. Instead, other targets - including the BankAmerica building in San Francisco - had also been under consideration by the terrorists, although they did not feature in the announcement.

But here's the kicker:

Terrorism ranks only third among voters' concerns, behind Iraq and the economy. Far more importantly, however, terrorism was and is likely to remain Mr Bush's best issue. Polls put him 10 points or more ahead of Mr Kerry in this area.

You see? Terrorism has fallen in importance for the American voter, and a heightened level of public perception of it as a threat is George W. Bush's best and last hope for reelection. If only there was some way to pump it up in importance, bring the electorate back up to speed. Somehow.