re: #85 thedopefishlives

I wouldn’t necessarily say it was cowardice. I truly believe that he wanted to go, and would have if he had been given a choice. I am convinced that he was strong-armed, perhaps literally (by agents of the Secret Service), into going back to the White House instead.

I recall some article that claimed he had been told by the Secret Service well before the speech that, for security reasons, he would be unable to accompany the crowd.