Why did bush just sit there in that class room for 7 minutes while America was under attack?

Question

With that blank stare on his face, was it a strong sense of guilt?

Interesting that you say put yourself in his position, this is exactly my point, he comtemplated his own conivance.

Answer 1

Because he knew that if he spoke right away he'd laugh and smirk and that wouldn't be appropriate behavior for a guy that just let the nation be attacked and Americans murdered.

Answer 2

Seven minutes can seem like an eternity however it isn't. I am sure as one person said he was scared , who wasn't on 9-11. Should he have bolted from the room frightening the children or perhaps launched a retaliatory strike on the enemy of the day?
I chose to believe that yes he was stunned but he had the sense of purpose to have his team drawing together whatever information was available at the time.
Lets not forget also the the secret service would have tackled him if required to make sure he did not go anywhere until they secured an exit route and maintained his safety.
9-11 was a horrible day I never want to relive. It saddens me that so many are looking back trying to micro manage an event that was unexpected and unimaginable.
Joe

Answer 3

What did you do?

Did you say like Bill Clinton did a month after it happened: "Mah first thot was, 'This has to be bin Laden.'" [While biting his lip and feeling our pain with those crocodile tears for all of our safety and well-being, a month after bin Laden had already been identified and claimed responsibility].

When I first heard it, I thought it was it was pilot error I was on the boat going to work. When the second hit, I didn't know what the hell to think. I was thinking it could be a joke. I listened to Howard Stern on my drive in and by the time I got to work, the Pentagon was hit too after I logged onto the Internet and watched the videos on cnn.com and foxnews.com.

I think Michael Moore is saying Bush took seven minutes. I only saw a 5-second reaction.

But it is what Bush did immediately thereafter that Clinton failed to do in his eight years as President that it only took Bush seven months to do: Bin Laden: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE. And he sent troops immediately to Afghanistan and declared war.

Did you know the Clinton administration refused to give George Tenet's CIA the authority to personally assassinate bin Laden? Read Tenet's book. Nor would Clinton give Tenet any funds to build an intelligence capability that may have delayed or reduced the 9/11 attacks.

Answer 4

the 11 assaults that passed off below Bush have been rapid, unpredicted hits the place there replaced into no time or probability for a reaction. And maximum persons of those killed in those assaults have been interior of sight guards, no longer the ambassadors themselves. In Benghazi, the government replaced into advised by skill of the persons there that they feared an attack replaced into coming and asked help, and that help on no account arrived... Its no longer the assaults that are troubling

Answer 5

What was your reaction when the first plane hit?
I thought someone was going to be in big trouble. it never occurred to me that this was anything more than a terrible accident

What was your reaction when you heard it was an attack?
min was disbelief. I could not conceive of a bunch of goat herders being able to take on the USA

Answer 6

Bush did the right thing and not rushed into anything. he must have been putting some emotiions in check when the tv cameras were on him. i'm glad i wasnt in bushs spot. i had worked all night loading semi trucks. went home and was chilling out. i thought it was some sick movie at first. then it was on every channel. i about freaked out. thinking, this isnt true. its just a bluff. then when the second plane hit i was sadden to the core of my being. i called my kids school and asked them what they would do since we would be in a war situtation soon. they said war had not been declaired. i wanted to rush to my kids school and yank her out and keep her safe at home. but, really where would it really had been safe it war would have been in our homeland the usa. i put it all in Gods hands and talked to a girlfriend of mine. then we found out about the pentigon. it was just horrible. so what if bush sat there for 7 min to get himself under control. if it had been me i would have thought of nuking some people.

Answer 7

Give it a rest. This was the day everything changed. Give the guy a break and hey, I didn't vote for him but it was an unprecedented day. I'd rather have him think before he acted (something he hasn't always done - Harriet Mier for the Supreme Court? Jeez...).

And no, there was no sense of guilt. As a liberal Democrat and a good American and a veteran, I know Bush had no hand in anything concerned with 9-11's execution. He was as stunned and angered as all of us.

Answer 8

there was no need to shock or scare the children. he has a large group of people that are there to handle emergencies as would any president. I guess you expected him to hop up, find the nearest telephone booth (they don't exist any more), pull off his suite revealing his Superman outfit, complete with cape and fly off to turn the earth in the opposite direction, effectively turning back time so he could redirect those flights and save the world.
7 minutes would not have made a difference in anything. use your head.

Answer 9

He was meditating. No, actually, he was wondering what kind of expression he should make. Surprised? Shocked? Angry? And, "Where the hell's Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove when I need him?!"

The scum should have politely excused himself from class (his photo op is NOT a pressing issue) so that he could find out the details and covey his findings and reassure Americans that he will do everything he can to help Americans in their time of need. It doesn't take a genious to know the proper way for the Commander-in-Chief to respond.


To those asking what WE would have done:

Sorry, but I didn't know it was MY JOB as Commander-in-Chief to handle the affairs of the country! Oh wait, it ISN'T--it's HIS JOB!!!

Answer 10

Because the attacks, disrupted his OODA Loop. When a decentralized enemy which works in cellular structure, executes a spectacular attack, on a magnitude this country hasn't seen since Pearl Harbor, his OODA Loop, got screwed up. He was was smart to do nothing, and we are better off he did nothing, until he could observe, orient, decide and act.

Answer 11

What would you expect him to do? Jump up and run around screaming and scaring the hell out of those kids? In real life, real leaders take control of the situation in a calm manner. I would turn the TV off.