Were we? Politically, 9/11 was the best thing to happen for W. It drew the nation's attention to the terrorism issue for several years and drew its attention away from many other things W was doing. It also made him much safer and comfortable in 2004 compared to John Kerry or any Dim.
Without 9/11, I don't think W would have been reelected. He won only by a close contest in Ohio. During his second term he mostly insulted the base and frittered away Republican majorities in Congress, resulting in the disasters of 2006 and 2012 which put Obama in the WH.
And the bottom line is, 9/11 still occurred on his watch, even though Clinton certainly deserved the Lion’s share of the blame.
“It also made him much safer and comfortable in 2004 “
That was the first election I ever voted in, and I remember everyone being a nervous wreck. Everyone had forgotten about 9/11 by Nov ‘04.