Lack of imagination

Among the areas of fault the 9/11 Commission found, as pointed out by Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton, was that those in government had "a lack of imagination" and that "was the most important failing."

However, the Commission also had a failure of lack of imagination. One of the most important questions theCommission considered was whether anything could have been done to prevent the terrorist's attacks on 9/11. However one of the major events that might have played a part in allowing the 9/11 attacks was barely mentioned in the report.

In November 2000 the American people selected Al Gore as the 43rd president, however thanks to the efforts of Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, numerous Republicans, and a politically motivated group of US Supreme Court justices, Gore was denied the presidency.

As the 9/11 report states on page 198...The dispute over the election and the 36-day delay cut in half the normal transition period. Given that a presidential election in the United States brings wholesale change in personnel, this loss of time hampered the new administration in identifying, recruiting, clearing, and obtaining Senate confirmation of key appointees.

The thing was, there didn't need to be a major transition. If allowed to win, Vice President Al Gore probably would have kept a number of Clinton appointees. In addition, as the one who lead the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security (also known as the Gore Commission) which investigated terrorism in the 1990s, Gore had a greater understanding of the importance of the issue and undoubtedly would have placed a higher level of importance on the topic.

Unfortunately, the GOP and Supreme Court thought they knew what was best for the country and denied Gore the Presidency. As attorney Mark H. Levine explained in A LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO THE SUPREME COURT DECISION IN BUSH V. GORE, the Surpreme Court stopped the counting of the votes in Florida because "if America knows the truth that Gore won, they won't accept the US Supreme Court overturning Gore's victory."

This was an important issue but one no one was willing to discuss. Some may find it distasteful to ask if a Gore Presidency could have prevented 9/11 but in reality not asking that question showed a lack of imagination.