If it HAD been manipulated, say by some unnamed foreign-born billionaire engaging in a pattern of selling certain banks living on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac fatness through cats'-paws, or some much more complex scheme, it appears Obama would have been the one actually benefitting from pre-election financial instability. Indeed the financial crisis undercut all forward progress McCain was able to make, which seemed to be going in the right direction in spite of his own inherent failings as a candidate. But for the suddenly-precipitated economic crisis, Obama probably would not have made the cut three weeks ago.
Of course once he did, his own inherent weakness had a further depressing effect on financial markets.
But I personally discount the manipulation theory. I merely point out that one would have to know it was a rock-solid certainty that Obama would have had to have been the assured winner in advance of the election, without there being a financial crisis at all, for the DUmmie premise to make any sense whatsoever. The poll numbers never supported that level of certainty, and prior to the crisis the Obama campaign appeared to have peaked with McCain slowly gaining ground despite the widely-noted lack of reasons to vote for him.
