WS Chronicle

Imagine who could lead U.S. best in another 911 tragedy

It was the year 2000, a presidential election year. The campaigning was bitter, but the outcome was even more so. Remember the hanging chads and how the U.S. Supreme Court chose George W. Bush as president over Al Gore?

Then remember that about nine months after Bush was sworn in as president, the 911 tragedy happened on Sept. 11, 2001.

Bush was having photo opportunities in Florida when the attacks came. Many accuse Bush of fleeing across the country as New York City and the Pentagon were attacked and at least one plane was headed to attack another target, possibly the White House, but was stopped.

But Bush eventually emerged to take charge from a safe place. He said the United States would fight back, and we did, although the target was wrong. Iraq was attacked, although that country was not directly tied to the 911 attacks.

This coming Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the 911 tragedy. We are in another election year with bitter campaigning. The Democrat, Hillary Clinton, and the Republican, Donald Trump, are in a tight race. We have weeks before the Nov. 8 election. What will the outcome be?

Will the U.S. Supreme Court choose our president again? Oh, wait: There are only eight justices working this time. The court split 4 to 4 in voting on a stay of the 4th Circuit Court’s ruling against North Carolina’s massive 2013 voting law, which means the 4th Circuit Court’s ruling striking down the law stands. With the Republicans’ refusal to work with President Obama to name a new justice to replace Antonin Scalia, there is no ninth justice on the bench, as there was in 2000.

So, the Electoral College’s vote probably will decide our next president.

Imagine what would happen if the new president is confronted with a 911-type tragedy months after taking office. Who would you want that president to be?

Who could make the quick decisions to make us safe? Who could marshal the military to fight the enemy? Who could be able to work with Congress to get the funding needed to help people, families and businesses recover let alone get the money to bolster the military in the fight against the enemy? Who could give us hope, mourn with us and embolden us to keep going?

Donald Trump has shown that he could not make America great again in a time of trouble. He says he knows more than the generals in our military. But how can that be true when he has never fought in a war and in fact dodged fighting in a war? How can he show the temperament and compassion needed to guide the United States in troubling times when during his campaign he changes what he says at the drop of a tweet? What would he do as president when he can’t tweet like he can as a private citizen?