The poll suggests that 87 percent of Republicans are against the public release of the photos, as are 62 percent of Democrats. Three out of four independent voters would also prefer for the photos to stay under wraps.That doesn't mean it was the right thing to do, and I think Obama may understand this, but a politician must choose his battles and in the grander scheme of things making these photos known must be pretty low on his priority list. They're only important for holding the Bush administration accountable, something Obama would rather not be sidetracked by.
America’s political experts brace for the most unpredictable election of
their careers
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The presidential race is statistically tied in all battleground states,
with the down ballot map still in a scramble.
2 hours ago
that's one way to look at it. at a deeper level, i think you need to actually delve into the procedural posture of the case under which the photos would be released. the ACLU brought a FOIA action to compel the release of the photos. both the trial court and the circuit court of appeals both ruled in favor of the ACLU. in my estimation, i think that obama is making the calculation that the courts will ultimately force him to release the photos and thereby take the decision out of his hands. i believe Obama wants the photos released but is calculating the most politically non-damaging way to do it. better to claim that "I had no choice!"
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