Another interesting question is why, in Terminator 2, would the Skynet robots from the future send a T-1000 back in time to kill a 13-year old John Connor in 1992, when they could just send one back to kill a pregnant Sarah Connor in 1984-1985 or whatever year it was. Sure, they already failed once when their T-800 failed (at the hands of Kyle Reese!), but couldn't you just send your T-1000 back earlier in time than when John Connor is 13? It's harder to kill a 13 year old than to kill a fetus.
I'll top that. It's easier to kill a Sarah Connor fetus than it is Sarah Connor as an adult, pregnant or not. And why not use a massive bomb or even a nuke, to blow up the city to assure death. It's easy, effective, and it's not like they care about many others dying.
Marshall: MILSWANCAs?
Ted: Wait, I can get this. Mothers I'd like to sleep with and never call again.
Barney: Circle gets the square!
The 2074 MSL NL Gold Glove Recipient at Third Base.
The potential impact on their present time (future) could be highly unpredictable if they drop a nuke, so that can probably explain the reluctance to go to that extreme.
League Team years Record Wild Card Division Pennants Titles MSL San Diego Padres 2034-2059 2,217-1,995 1 6 3 1 TBL Arizona Diamondbacks 2005-2018 1,216-1,053 1 9 6 3 TSSL San Diego Padres 2015-2021, 2024-2028 1,017-928 0 7 3 2 TSSL Texas Rangers 2029-2033 396-414 0 0 0 0
So it wipes out a third of the country, it doesn't wipe out their headquarters. They're from the future, they're robots, they'd probably be able to build a bomb.. that's from the future, thus a lot of technological advancements and precision. Maybe they just make a missile, that seeks out all Sarah Connors to blow them up.
Who knows. The movies just point out that robots aren't the brightest. Go humans!
Marshall: MILSWANCAs?
Ted: Wait, I can get this. Mothers I'd like to sleep with and never call again.
Barney: Circle gets the square!
The 2074 MSL NL Gold Glove Recipient at Third Base.
I don't think it matters how far back in time Skynet sends the T-1000, considering at that same point in time in the future, John Connor can send his reprogrammed T-800 to follow the T-1000.