I’d be apprehensive. I’ve little concern for Bush’s personal safety as it impacts his own quality of life, but it has a huge impact on the quality of life of hundreds of millions, if not billions. So, as bad as he is, I’m not at all convinced he’d be worse than those currently next in line, and with a dead president to give Cheney a purported moral prerogative, the outcome could easily be far more troubling than simply having The Decider finish his term.
Would I feel sad? I don’t know. Not in a major way. This isn’t because I dislike Bush, I actually am a supporter of some of the things he has done, while I oppose some other things he has done. It’s just I usually don’t experience real sadness at the passing of major figures in society that I don’t know personally (for example Princess Diana, or Ronald Reagan.)
Would I care? Yes, I would most definitely care if he died in office, that’s a major event, it would bring about a transition of power and etc.
Yes, it makes a difference if he was assassinated. I would be extremely angry if any President were to be assassinated, Democrat or Republican, the people voted the person in, and a bullet has no right to take them out.
Just saw this over at Roger Ebert’s website. The Toronto International Film Festival is showing a movie called Death of a President, a fictional documentary about the assassination of George W. Bush in October 2007. Looks pretty cool. I wonder if it’ll get any play in the US?
Just to address the OP, I want George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to live for a long time, into their ripe old ages… preferably from a jail cell.
(Though I’ll settle for having them watch history render its harsh judgement on their administration from their beds in the Old Government Officials’ Home)