I always thought Bush was the worst person it was possible to elect for the presidency, that is until 2016 proved me wrong. But I never understood this criticism against him. It's not like he knew the attacks were going to happen before he went to that photo-op. And he did the exact right thing in that situation: keep calm and carry on. There was nothing he could do in that situation, it was already being handled. Cameras were on him: had he gotten up and aborted the session, he would have appeared to be panicking, and the press would certainly have a field day with that. It isn't the president's job to handle emergencies when they happen: his job is to make sure the country is prepared for emergencies, and to show a sympathetic face in the aftermath.
It's not like the fire fighters and police are waiting for a direct order from the president. They do what they already have a mandate to do, and other men under the president have the power to call out additional resources if the president is not available. Which is exactly what happened. The city has a mayor, the state has a governor, the president has a VP. In these situations, the president is but a figurehead.
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