I fear antipathy towards GWB has derailed your judgment. Besides rapid partisans, no one cares about the my pet goat seven minutes. This is a criticism that will strike most Americans as "Washington nonsense" If Kerry or Moveon go with this angle then they are evil more doomed and out of touch than they appear to be.
And, just as an aside, had Bush dashed out of the classroom, then what, exactly? Was he supposed to change in a phone booth fly off to battle evildoers in Metropolis?
baa - He was supposed to look as if he cared.
And, frankly, getting somewhere secure, and with broadcasting facilities should have been his team's top priority. In the event of a major terrorist attack, it's OK to protect the president, but I expect to see his or her face on my TV screen within at least an hour, even if the broadcast is coming from some bunker somewhere.