TERROR LATEST – AT 7:07 P.M. ET:  It's been a one-story day, and the storty wasn't the election.  Suspicious packages coming from Yemen, that great island of civilization, were detected, apparently after an intelligence tip from the Saudis.  Many cargo planes were grounded and inspected at airports here, in Britain, and in the Mideast.  At least some of the packages appear to have been aimed at synagogues in Chicago.

Explosives and electronics were found, leading some experts to suggest that this was a live attack, not a dry run.

I'm surprised that analysts didn't note the closeness to our election, nor did they note that Chicago is the president's home city.

Obama made a serious statement about the threat from the White House...but will be in Chicago tomorrow to campaign. 

It may be vulgar, but inevitably we must ask whether this incident, and the intense coverage it received today, will affect the outcome on Tuesday.  No one can answer that with any integrity.  Normally, attacks benefit the president in power, as there's a rally-'round-the-flag moment.  But these attacks failed, and Obama isn't exactly identified with a hard line on Islamic extremism.  Could the GOP benefit?  Again, who knows?  My own hunch, only a hunch, is that this won't have any effect at all, as there were no casualties.

October 29, 2010