Dead On

Mr. Bush as a person, as an individual, is as attractive to Republicans as
he is unattractive to Democrats. Republicans like him because he seems like a
normal guy--business, family, sports, Top 40 on the iPod. Democrats hate him for
this--how common, how plebian; he'd have more elevated tastes if he were a more
elevated man. Republicans like him for the one way in which he is obviously
extraordinary: When he says it he means it, and if he promises it he'll do it.
Democrats see this as evidence of derangement: He doesn't change his mind
because he thinks he's God's other son, and in any case he can't think clearly
enough to change his mind. Republicans see it more this way: As a West Point
official said to me in passing, "He's got two of 'em."
Democrats try to tag Mr. Bush as lazy, but that will never work. He seems like an activist who's actively engaged. Every time cable news does a "Bush Is on Vacation in Crawford" headline they're forced to follow it with a clip of the speech Mr. Bush just made. In any case liberals are always trying to call Republican presidents lazy.
They did it with Eisenhower and Reagan too. It never helps the liberal cause.
They don't know half the country would be relieved to have a lazy president as
he'd do less and make us less nervous.

- Peggy Noonan, as always, looking and sounding good with grace