It was a great day for a presidential visit in Norcross on Tuesday. It's a good thing. By 9 a.m. lots of people were huffing toward the Norcross depot to get a good spot to view the president, who would not get off the train until 12:08.
President Bush stepped into a perfect October day: the wind still, the temperature in the 60s, the sun shining and the crowd cheering.
Mr. Bush and his wife, Barbara, along with their entourage aboard the Norfolk Southern train, would spend exactly 21 minutes in the Gwinnett crowd. Then he disappeared into his car for 14 minutes while the press corps hopped back on the train, re-emerging on the back platform to wave to the crowd as the train slowly pulled out of town at 12:43.
Three bands greeted Mr. Bush - from Norcross, Berkmar and Duluth high schools.
For the Norcross band, the event was particularly memorable. It had been the only band to represent Georgia in the Fourth of July parade in 1991 in Washington, and the students had been disappointed that Mr. Bush did not get to hear them there. But this time the president heard them at their best. They were positioned closest to the train and played happily before the entourage pulled out.
'Good to be in the home of the Braves'
The turnout may have been disappointing - Norcross officials estimated a crowd of possibly 5,000 and no more than 7,000 - but nearly everyone had a good view of the president. It was a polite crowd, with no outbursts. A small contingent of Democratic supporters with Clinton-Gore signs chanted "No more years" while Republicans were imploring, "Four more years."
Several dignitaries got on the train as Angelee Garner and Leah Cagle entertained the crowd with patriotic songs. U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich introduced Mr. Bush at 12:08.
The president, wearing a windbreaker, immediately got the attention of the crowd, when he said, "It's good to be in the land of the free and the home of the Braves."
Early on, he threw in an endorsement for his former Peace Corps director, Paul Coverdell, for Senate: "While we're at it, let's change senators and elect Paul Coverdell." (Ironically, Mr. Coverdell, who is challenging Sen. Wyche Fowler for the seat, was not present in the Bush contingent.)
White House to home of Waffle House
Later on Mr. Bush made another local reference, suggesting that his Democratic foe's leadership "would make the White House into a Waffle House." Wonder if he would have made the pitch for the Norcross-based Waffle House if the restaurant chain's chief executive, Joe Rogers, had been a Democrat?
After speaking, Mr. Bush worked his way to the train, shaking hands along the route that took about 60 steps. Meanwhile, an official was busy removing the presidential seal from the podium.
The crowd dispersed relatively quickly. By 4 p.m. the area had been cleaned and cleared, and traffic, which had been blocked for 24 hours from downtown Norcross, was readily moving through the city once again.
It truly had been a good day for a presidential visit, which had apparently come off without a hitch. On the street, a discarded sign may have said it best: "Welcome to Braves' country, President Bush."
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