Remember the picture of the president in the classroom, being told of the attack by chief of staff Andy Card? The American people thought they were seeing a man suddenly thrust into a grave challenge no one could have anticipated.
Meaning of the quote
This quote is about how the American people saw the president's reaction when he was told about the 9/11 attacks. They thought the president was suddenly faced with a serious problem that no one could have expected. The quote suggests that the president's expression and actions in that moment showed the public that he was dealing with a major challenge he had not planned for.
About Howard Fineman
Howard Fineman was an influential American journalist and TV commentator who covered 9 presidential campaigns over a 50-year career. He worked for Newsweek for 30 years, rising to become their chief political correspondent, senior editor, and deputy Washington bureau chief. After Newsweek, he joined the Huffington Post and was a regular contributor on MSNBC shows.
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