re: So the answer to my question was...?
"It would have been highly instructive to see what Bush's response would have been to the original bombing of the World Trade Center, or the bombing of the Cole. Maybe no different than Clinton's, but maybe not. "
I think 911 changed Bush. I think it would have changed Clinton.
I think the other terrorist attacks simply weren't generally taken very seriously and I see little reason why Bush would have been particularly interested in them- they were "details" in a much larger picture. I don't even think we would have been particularly interested in Iraq after Gulf war I, if it wasn't for the political pressure from countries in the region.