Mr. Popularity

One of the enduring mysteries for me has been how Bush retains his still considerable popularity. I now have a theory - a crackpot, 4 AM theory - but a theory nonetheless.

GW has a certain genius for choosing the popular but stupid option on almost every kind of question. A lot of us find adulthood means deferred gratification, choosing to work instead of party, saving instead of spending and planning for the future instead of the moment. For GW, life has never been that way. Go ahead, party 'til your forty, Daddy's friends can fix it.

Tax cuts are always popular, though they can be pretty stupid if they lead to future catastrophe. GW's choice - go ahead, party! God, Daddy, or somebody will fix it later. Prescription drug coverage popular for Medicare, paying for it unpopular, restricting profits for phamaceuticals unpopular? Go ahead, party on! Send the bill to China! Wars against bad guys - popular. Paying for wars with blood, taxes, and a draft unpopular? Solution to this dilemma - Party on! Taxes unpopular, spending popular - Party, Party, Party!

Many people have denounced the follies from the beginning, but the other genius of GW is ensuring that fixing the problems he has created will be unpopular. Big deficits will eventually destroy the economy, but cutting spending and raising taxes are both unpopular. Starting a war was popular, but committing the resources to win was unpopular. Admitting that we have lost will be even more unpopular. Driving big trucks is popular, but paying high gasoline prices is unpopular. Preparing for the future by taxing gasoline more now is certain to be extremely unpopular.

On almost every issue, Rove and Bush have convinced Americans to make the grasshopper's choice - but winter is coming.

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