Changing Tactics

The public grew cynical about color-coded terror alerts that invariably coincided with a presidential popularity crisis or a looming scandal. Though FEAR is a time-honored tactic of the unscrupulous, Georgie's homeboys cried Wolf! (or Orange!) a few times too often. You know the ploy has worn thin when Jay and Dave are poking fun.

Unfortunately, things haven't been going well. While scandals spread like coffee stains on a white T-shirt, Georgie's popularity hovers slightly above hurricanes and genital herpes.

So what is a strategist to do? A diversion, obviously, but how to avoid adding to the growing cynicism?

Hey, how about enlisting an ambitious mayor of an already paranoid city, having him (over)react to a terror threat that the official agencies actually downplay!

There ya go! You get the diversion PLUS the fear without federal culpability to feed the cynics! (Well, except for a few, obviously.)

As they say in the Guinness commercials -- Brilliant! BRILLIANT!

Too devious to be true? Or just a variation on a theme?

The real question is why should we have to be so suspicious to begin with.