Is Bush In Trouble?

John Podhoretz says “No:”
“A page-one Washington Post article summed up this week’s conventional wisdom perfectly:
“‘The president no longer enjoys the aura of invincibility that surrounded him only a few months ago . . . Democrats especially have re-evaluated his presidency and concluded that, on the issues now dominating the political debate, Bush does not have the upper hand.’
“Only one problem: The article by Dan Balz and Dana Milbank was published a year ago – on Aug. 11, 2002.” Before the midterm elections, that is, when Bush asserted a political dominance matched by few Presidents in history.
Podhoretz thinks the objective realities strongly favor the President:
“George W. Bush has led the military to victories in two wars over two years. There hasn’t been another terrorist attack. The economy is evidently poised for a comeback, with all growth trends looking favorable.
“And let’s get serious – and cynical – about another matter. Terrorist attacks in Iraq and Israel play to the president’s strengths as a leader. They remind people that he is the only major politician in the country who has a serious plan to deal with terror.”
So Podhoretz looks toward next November with confidence. Let’s hope he’s right. This is a topic to which we will return many times over the coming months.