This is my biggest fear about this entire deal -- that the administration didn't understand how upsetting this would be to people and assign a point person to explain all the details regarding the ports and now our one reasonably dependable ally in the region, the UAE, will be so upset with the reaction of Americans that it will turn them firmly against us.
I don't think it would have made any difference. The ones who are looking to scare folks, would have just continued to do so, and who would have gotten more of the press, the Administration, or it's opponents?
It's hard to predict which non-issues people will get all stirred up over.
I do not know, they know we no longer really trust muslims because of 9-11 and nobody in their right mind even muslims would feel we would think otherwise. Besides they have Bush defending them and standing firm saying that he will veto any bill against the port deal. So they have the President doing battle for them and that should count for a lot probably even more because he is the leader in their opinion not the people complaining.
Once again, the Mises Institute ideologues with tunnel vision have failed to understand Main Street. Of course, although most such ideologues have the ear of leadership for now, it is telling that many of them actually call Blue States home. They are so 9/10, and so non-Fly-Over. That's why they don't get Main Street.