James Joyner at OTB: [1]
Der Spiegel’s Gabor Steingart has written “The Comeback of a War President [2],” the first positive piece on President Bush I’ve seen (outside the usual suspects) since roughly since maybe the spring of 2005.
He may be America’s most unpopular politician, but George W. Bush is no lame duck. As a wartime president, Bush dominates the political agenda. He is discreetly influencing his party’s choice of presidential candidate while committing his country to an aggressive foreign policy, the effects of which are likely to continue well beyond his term in office.
The first sentence is obviously true, even if it goes against the conventional wisdom. That says little about Bush; it’s just the nature of his office. The second sentence, though, is a harder sell. Certainly, it conflicts with the wisdom of the recent “Most Influential American Conservatives [3]” assessment.
Not really, James. Perhaps it’s time that I reiterate what I’ve been saying for eight years now; George W. Bush , for all that he is, is no conservative. He is a centrist.