Blogs React to Osama bin Laden Tape

The blogging community reacted fear, scorn, and disdain to the recent video released by Osama bin Laden, timed to coincide with the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Conservative blogs generally took bin Laden’s statement as endorsing liberal ideals.  John Hinderaker at Power Line opined that he is “starting to think bin Laden is a regular poster on the Daily Kos.”  He added, “Presumably the American liberals who share so many of bin Laden’s beliefs don’t intend to convert. Sometimes I wonder, though, what their alternative is.”

Pamela Gellar at Atlas Shrugs was more explicit, saying, “September 11th is a day of celebration for Islam and  Bin Laden mocking sounds eerily like the Democrat [sic] party platform. Invoking Chomsky and Scheuer,  leftists icon [sic] all.”

And Hugh Hewitt stated flatly that “bin Laden thought the Democrats were to be his partners in creating the world he wants to live in.”

Some conservative bloggers were too busy reacting in fear to worry about bin Laden’s politics, whatever they may be.  Reliapundit at The Astute Bloggers, meanwhile, focused on bin Laden’s reference to Hiroshima, saying, “I DON’T THINK HE BRINGS UP HIROSHIMA TO PROVE WHEN HE MADE THE TAPE. I THINK IT’S A NUCLEAR THREAT. I THINK HE’S SAYING THAT SINCE WE USED THEM ON OTHERS, IT’S OKAY IF HE USES THEM ON US.  [Caps in original.]“ 

In contrast to conservatives, most liberal bloggers were reacting with derision.  Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo ridiculed bin Laden, saying, “as an articulator of a vision, an expounder of ‘Islamofascism,’ or whatever the new trademarked word is now, he’s about as coherent and comprehensible as a 9th tier blogger or one of those whacks sitting on a stoop in Union Square talking about fascism and Texas oil barons before they get overcome by the shakes or decide to start collecting more aluminum cans.”

Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon noted bin Laden’s championing of a 2.5 percent tax, and snarked, “So Steve Forbes isn’t off the hook, either.”

Writing at Daily Kos, L.C. Johnson said the tape was “meaningless,” because “the United States, and the Bush Administration in particular, is not serious about finding and eliminating Bin Laden.”

Mustang Bobby of Shakesville agreed, saying, “Sometimes I think al-Qaeda does it just to get a giggle out of how easily Homeland Security gets all twitterpated; it’s like playing with a cat with a laser pointer. And since the Bush administration has lost all interest in hunting down the guy who masterminded the attacks, they have every reason to to think they can get away with it.”

Finally, conservative Iraq war opponent Andrew Sullivan  reacted to bin Laden with mockery.  Posting on his Daily Dish blog, Sullivan gave bin Laden beard care tips.  Noting that bin Laden’s beard appears to have been dyed, Sullivan said, “Pick a color close to your own – dark brown or black, I’d say, in your case (95 – 100 on the JFM scale) – and dab just a little, just to take the edge off, no more. If in doubt, use less. If you fade it in slowly and gently over time, most people won’t notice. But be careful or one lazy dye-job will be with you for weeks. Leave Just For Mullahs on for three minutes max and then rush to the shower or waterfall or whatever you’re using at the moment. Presto. Your next video can blend back toward the whole 2004 look. It’s a shame you blew it, of course, with the latest disaster. But image is reparable.  Look at Hillary. With time, there’s hope.”