How long will he live?

[Pooka]

the neighborhood was a conservative middle income all white neighborhood in the 50s... now mostly retired and aging... being taken over rappidly by very low income black... you do the math

[Pooka]

uh... african american

[SamIam]

While it certainly is a concern, I think too many of you have been reading thriller type novels. I admitted to this same fear elsewhere on this board, but I right now am too busy being proud of the American people for electing the first Black President of the US. WE've come a long way from the ku lux klan, lynching and the civil rights era in the South. Yep, those elements are still out there, but the Secret Service is very good, and I am not going to let anything mar my pleasure on this day. I finally have regained some faith in my fellow Americans. Ooooh, and Colorado is now a Blue State. YAY! Take that you born agains in Colorado Springs and conservative West Slope ranchers!

[glatt]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

It still would have been an easy shot for a well trained sniper from 6 or 800 meters with the right equipment. I am glad nothing happened. That would have been tragic.

Originally Posted by bartman

Ummm I agree with Merc, it would have been an easy shot for someone well prepared. I was trying to figure out how far away the buildings were.

But when was the venue announced? A day in advance? Part of the Secret Service's ability to protect the President is to not give a lot of advanced notice about his schedule. Gaining access to a locked rooftop or open window isn't easy, especially with the Secret Service checking all those buildings in advance and having local law enforcement watching them.

I'm not saying the odds are zero, I'm just saying that the Secret Service does a very good job of making the odds very close to zero.

It will be interesting to see if Obama gets out of his limo during the inaugural parade. He might do it just as the parade gets to the White House, because that area is more secure than the wide open areas near the Capitol building.

I went to Clinton's first parade, and may go to this one. My office will be closed. Depends on the weather. You have to get there VERY early to see anything, and it's a long cold wait.

[TheMercenary]

I agree. It would have been difficult. Just not impossible. The venue was announced a few days in advance. It is not past entities to put someone out there to do the deed and subsequently sacrifice the shooter. Plenty of conspiracies surround Lee Harvey Oswald. I have faith in the protection of our President. I am sure they are as worried about the threat as we are.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Dorothys will protect him.

[Undertoad]

There were thick plexiglass panels in front of him, you had to look closely at the right shots to see them.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by Pooka

uh... african american

Thread-branch:

I'd stick with "black." It's concise. Jesse Jackson's (yes, I saw what he was doing standing in the crowd last night) popularizing of that piece of bureaucratese was notably tin of ear.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I had this overwhelming fear that it was somehow going to happen during the acceptance speech last night. I could barely watch it, I was so convinced.

*nods* me too. A couple of moments during the speech, I had this itch att he back of my head, almost an expectation of the moment to turn.

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

Thread-branch:

I'd stick with "black." It's concise. Jesse Jackson's (yes, I saw what he was doing standing in the crowd last night) popularizing of that piece of bureaucratese was notably tin of ear.

Really? What was he doing? Jacking off? Barfing? Giving wedgies? I saw him standing there but I didn't see "what he was doing." (cue ominous music: duh duh DUHHHHH):

Here's some tin for you:

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

There were thick plexiglass panels in front of him, you had to look closely at the right shots to see them.

Oh my God, you're right. I saw them in one shot, but didn't understand what I was looking at.


Heh. It's like they know what they're doing, or something.

[Pie]

Can someone post a link to the plexiglass pix please?

[glatt]

.

[Pico and ME]

I don't think that the people who currently would like to take a shot at Obama have the proper resources to do so, and the people who do have the resources, don't have the reason..yet.

[sweetwater]

What SamIAm said.