What If The Left Killed Bush?

Here we go, folks. A film-maker in the UK has put together a piece which features the assassination of President George W. Bush. Sort of Michael Moore’s favorite dream, or maybe what Oliver Stone and Howard Dean talk about when they meet for brie and communism.

Specific malicious threats against President Bush have been made by many on the Left for a long time, of course. Like this, or this, or this. Everything from politicians who think vicious fantasies are fine, as long as you hate the right sort of people, to “peace” activists who would justify murder as long as the victim is an enemy. It’s hardly unlikely that someone would have a go at Dubya. The Democrats and Liberals of all flavors gave their permission, even their encouragement, long ago. For all I know, there may already have been a number of attempts which never got publicized. The Secret Service is none too keen on having would-be assassins learn about other attempts so they can compare notes. The public record is interesting on that score. Attempts against former President Clinton included a 1994 attack where Francisco Duran opened fire on the White House, firing 29 shots before he was tackled to the ground, and of course Frank Corder, who crashed a stolen airplane into the White House. I have to believe that Corder’s attempt scared the daylights out of the Secret Service.

There is, actually, a public record of known attempts on the life of President Bush.

There was a documented Marxist plot in Colombia in 2004, which was foiled before it progressed to an actual attempt, as well as that odd incident in November 2004 where one of Bush’s Secret Service agents was pushed away from him in Santiago, Chile. And we should definitely remember that 2005 attempt with a grenade in Russia. There was even a possible attempt, aborted, on him on the morning of September 11, 2001. According to a community newspaper, the Longboat Observer, a van occupied by men of Middle-Eastern appearance drove up to the hotel where the President was staying and attempted to see him, posing as reporters and claiming to have an appointment. The Secret Service turned them away, but otherwise refuses to discuss details of the incident.

Small wonder, that. But from looking at the record, it seems to me that the guy suggesting the President would be shot by a hidden sniper, or that the nation would jump to conclusions about the culprit, not only ignores the professional ability of the Secret Service, but is willing to lie to himself about how such a crime would most likely be perpetrated. Accordingly, I have thought about this situation myself, and suggest three scenarios which could happen, though I warn the reader from the beginning that the Secret Service has already considered all kinds of situations, and has taken steps to prevent just such possibilities. After all, we don’t see open-car Presidential motorcades anymore, for the obvious reason. But looking at the most likely scenarios and our likely response to them, should help give a sense of perspective to the task of protecting the most important leader in the world, as well as the fallacy of such people as Peter Dale.

Scenario One – President George W. Bush is assassinated in a foreign country.

Why it could happen – Bush has made a lot of trips while President, and not just to nice safe places. He’s been to Iraq, to Russia, and a large number of places where extremists and violent factions reside. Since he depends to some degree on the quality and dedication of protection agencies of the host countries, he is clearly at his greatest risk when outside the United States.

What if it happens – The risk of such an event is obvious. You might have noticed that Bush and Cheney are never together when outside the United States, and after the Russian attempt Bush no longer made publicized appearances outside controlled locations. While the specific method of attack is difficult to predict, the tight security would preclude the more common tactics of sniper shooting or suicide bomb. It is generally accepted that the death of a U.S. President would provoke war. Understandably, the U.S. Government refuses to speculate on its response to a possible assassination in a foreign country, but the most likely scenario would be a terrorist group attempting to destabilize the host government, as was motive the 2005 attempt in Russia. If Bush were assassinated in a foreign country, the most likely consequences would include an ultimatum to Iran and subsequent military action. See the concluding section on Mindset Change.

Why it won’t happen – There are only two kinds of countries which get visits from President Bush; allies and countries which want something from the United States. It is very much in those countries’ interests to keep the President safe; there is no conceivable scenario where Bush was assassinated in another country, where that country would not suffer for that event. Knowing this, every country which receives a Presidential visit makes his safety the top priority.


Scenario Two – President Bush is assassinated in the United States by an avowed terrorist.

Why it could happen – It has long been accepted, that a person or group which has no concern for their own lives, could find a way to reach any given individual and kill them. Some of the best-protected men in History were assassinated anyway.

What if it happens – The terrorists celebrate the 9/11 attacks, not realizing that while those attacks achieved their immediate objective, they also woke up many Americans to the threat. The Left and the terrorists have been selling Americans for a number of years on the idea that America is really the aggressor, not the victim. Killing the President would prove that lie for its evil in short order, and would radically harden American opinion of the need for permanent and effective action against terrorist groups and their sponsors.

Why it won’t happen – They’ll never admit it, but the Secret Service has been beefed up quite a bit, with some military guys and some tech tricks that would put ‘Q’ of James Bond fame to shame. While the airlines and public relations types are careful to avoid profiling, you may be assured that profiling is regularly – and more importantly, intelligently – used in protecting the nation’s highest officials. The public, after all, has largely forgotten about the Anthrax scare in 2001 and the various security issues with buildings and evacuation procedures, but the guys who sweat out the security have been working on this non-stop, and know their job inside and out.


Scenario Three – President Bush is assassinated by a home-grown nutjob.

Why it could happen – Most assassins in American history are loners. They get their chance specifically because no one knows what they plan to do until they put it into motion. It’s scary to think about it, but if a loonie with a gun happened to see Bush at some moment when he had the opportunity, he could kill him just like the attacks on Reagan, or Ford, or Truman, or Garfield. The possibility simply cannot be eliminated, and there is a perverse sort of fate which seems to smile on madmen.

What if it happens – One thing which must be admitted from the start; no one really believes that if Bush were assassinated, it would a coincidence. Even the staunchest Bush hater would be inclined to see a pattern or organized effort behind the killing, which could not avoid sending more serious consequences into motion. Certainly the military would be put on alert, and various units deployed to the places designated as most likely to need them. And the national mood would change radically.

Why it won’t happen – The Secret Service has worked for a long time for every eventuality, and they know the history better than anyone else. While there have been lapses in the past, they always came during times when a sense of peace and stability pervaded, or else when their subject was uncooperative with the steps which protected him. Neither situation exists with this President.

Conclusion (Mindset Change): Killing President Bush is a sick perverted wish of some on the Left. It should be understood that this is not a political condition so much as a personal psychological climate; during the 1990s, there were people on the Right who wanted Clinton dead, and had no qualms in saying so. For a President to be unpopular is not surprising, especially when he acts decisively in his authority, as Bush has done. But those enemies who think it would be swell to see Bush dead have certainly not considered the consequences of it. Obviously, the assassination of President Bush would mean President Dick Cheney, a man far less obliging and tolerant of the Left or of terrorist-supporting nations than Bush has been. But there is also a social component to consider. Franklin Roosevelt was criticized by many people while in office, sometimes harshly, but after his death he became untouchable. When Kennedy was assassinated, he instantly was transformed from a bungling, indecisive leader who seemed to change his mind on major policy every month or so, to a great leader cut down in his prime. Even so long after leaving office, when Reagan dies his enemies found they were compelled to praise him and testify to his accomplishments. Whatever the public opinion of George W. Bush right now, if he were to be assassinated he would undergo a similar transformation. The nation would find itself obliged to follow his ideals more closely, at least on the surface, but even that would cut the Democrats off at the knees for years to come. Anytime a Democrat started to attack a Conservative position, all a Republican would need to do would be to point to a Bush position like his own, and the polls would swing. Cynical? Sure. But look at Lincoln, McKinley, and every politician killed in office. Even Huey Long got to look like a hero by dying so visibly for a cause. If Bush were assassinated, in the end it would hurt the Liberal cause more than anyone else.

So, if Liberals want to be smart, they ought to denounce that film for the schlock it is, and support Bush the man, even though they cannot support his cause. They need him more than they know.