[Guaranano]

He didn't say whose presence of mind. I'd guess the SS agent told him to stay where he was at.

The building is already secure, why move him before you are ready?

ACK!

Was it secured enough to prevent a plane flying into it?

I'm just wondering if they instigate no fly zones around the President like they do around fixed buildings. And if they did, would they be able to shoot down a commercial airliner that contravened that airspace quickly enough.

[Nothatspecial]

Also, it seems unlikely that AQ could have known during the planning phases exactly where Bush would be on that day, even supposing they were willing to hijack a whole separate airliner and smash it into an elementary school to hit one man, however (theoretically) important.

[diseeKeythilt]

How the hell would you find a nondescript elementary school and hit it with an airliner, anyway? It's not massive, unmistakable target like the WTC or the Pentagon.

[N9u9ie4p]

Sorry, Tubes, but... bull.

1) This entire thread is about Bush. That is who Patty was talking about.

2) The SS is ALWAYS ready to move the President. That is their job. They were ready. He peed his pants.

You're right, they are always ready to move the President, the fact that they didn't suggests they wanted him where he was. If they decide to move him, they will pick him up, literally, and hustle him away.

ACK!

[jPNy2BP5]

Bush was too important for their success for them to target him.

Yes, but I was trying to assume the SS POV, wherein Bush might be a worthwhile target by virtue of his office and yadda yadda. I fully realize that a trained pigeon could have done less damage to the country in fulfilling the duties of that office.

BlackCat, if you continue defending the conduct of GWB you risk having your Good European Card revoked.

[DesautocaD]

No. Repeat after me: "There is no devil but Bush, and all he touches turns to feces."

Seriously, though, there are more options than 1. Sit there reading a children's story for ten minutes and 2. Jump up screaming "Oh, we are SO ****ed! Run, it's the Apocalypse!" He could have, for example, taken ten seconds to collect himself, then stood up and said, "I'm sorry, kids, but something very important has come up, and it's my job to go take care of it, etc."

[mralabama]

How the hell would you find a nondescript elementary school and hit it with an airliner, anyway? It's not massive, unmistakable target like the WTC or the Pentagon.

Use magnets.

[Nautilus]

My most distinct memories of Bush's presidency are his classic quip about Ob-Gyn doctors not being able to spread their love around the country and the "Mission Accomplished" celebration on the aircraft carrier even as the guerilla war in Iraq was beginning to heat up.

[jq0AFTTC]

Bush die hards are like religious fundamentalists. Even in light of solid and factual arguments, they refuse to be reasonable and see the overall failure & decline in just about every area one can think of.

But before 2001, would you have thought that about 1/4 to 1/3 of americans are just that? Uhem, well, yeah... maybe...

[Greactbet]

Sure, except that there wasn't anything he could do - it was already being handled by experts such as police, firedepartments, military etc.

The President in this situation is the figurehead of the government. His role is to be the public face of "the government is doing everything it can in this emergency, to save people and protect against further attacks". Whether he can actually doing anything useful or not, people want to feel that their leader is actively involved in any major decisions, it's reassuring. That's basically his job in this situation to reassure the public that the government is still working and looking after them. Dismissing "crap like "showing leadership" etc." as irrelevant as it is totally missing the point.

And I think that when he was notified, how could he possibly know that there wasn't anything he could do? It could have been a military attack, their could have been other planes in the air (there were) I don't see how his inaction can be defended.

[aburva.org]

Seriously?

[spamkillerf]

That's not the problem. Think about it. And show us this timeline.

[invasuant]

The Bush 30% (die hard Republicans) have remained true believers who reject all reason right up to this very day. They're literally his last supporters.

Actually the only thing I would say to clarify this point is that a lot of Republicans hate Bush and think he's not really a Republican per se - he's a neoconservative. I've got friends at law school who are old-school Republicans and who think Bush is the worst thing to happen to the party in living memory.

Then there's the one friend I have who's a registered Republican but who is actually very liberal and did it just to tick all the "liberal" answers on their intra-party campaign questionnaires. He just thinks Bush is funny.

[Amomiamup]

The President in this situation is the figurehead of the government. His role is to be the public face of "the government is doing everything it can in this emergency, to save people and protect against further attacks". Whether he can actually doing anything useful or not, people want to feel that their leader is actively involved in any major decisions, it's reassuring. That's basically his job in this situation to reassure the public that the government is still working and looking after them. Dismissing "crap like "showing leadership" etc." as irrelevant as it is totally missing the point.

Reading this I am reminded of the pictures of Winston Churchill and King George VI surveying the damage during the blitz. Sure, they probably never moved a single brick or put out a single fire but they showed real leadership and inspired everyone who fought against the Nazis just because they walked the streets, showed the people they weren't afraid, and told the people they felt their pain. That's leadership.

[kanchouska]

True enough on that point, rah. Poor example, Oerdin.

[ladleliDypenue]

Bush didn't fly to Europe to give campaign speeches.