Well, the first review of President Bush’s address is in. According to the Zogby poll, only 17 percent think Bush’s proposed “comprehensive immigration reform” is ready for prime time:
Despite the mixed reviews on the speech's content, a majority of viewers saw the speech more as an exercise to gain political advantage in Washington and less as an effort to inform the American public about the issue. While 37% said they believed Bush was trying to bring the public up to speed on immigration, 58% said they believed he was simply trying to gain a political edge by stemming criticism of reform proposals that he backs.
Zogby pegs Bush’s job approval at 32 percent. But don’t tell that to his old lady, the First Lady. Laura Bush recently said polls showing Americans have had enough of her husband are bunk. She told “Fox News Sunday:”
I don't really believe those polls. I travel around the country. I see people. I see their responses to my husband. I see their response to me.
As I travel around the United States, I see a lot of appreciation for him. A lot of people come up to me and say, “Stay the course.”
Mrs. Bush neglected to mention that those "people" are hand-picked Bush loyalists. When critics do manage to slip in, they are summarily kicked out.
So, while Mrs. Bush has to stand by her man, the Republican base has moved on:
But a day after Mr. Bush delivered a nationally televised address on the issue from the Oval Office, there was little immediate evidence that he had bridged the deep divide in his own party or rallied public opinion sufficiently to break the impasse.
And to think conservatives once “loved” President Bush. Ain’t love grand.
