Bush's Support Jumps After a Long Decline

The Washington Post tells us that Bush's recent speechifying has given him a bump in the polls:

Bush's Support Jumps After a Long Decline: "President Bush's approval rating has surged in recent weeks, reversing what had been an extended period of decline, with Americans now expressing renewed optimism about the future of democracy in Iraq, the campaign against terrorism and the U.S. economy, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News Poll.Bush's overall approval rating rose to 47 percent, from 39 percent in early November, with 52 percent saying they disapprove of how he is handling his job. His approval rating on Iraq jumped 10 percentage points since early November, to 46 percent, while his rating on the economy rose 11 points, to 47 percent. A clear majority, 56 percent, said they approve of the way Bush is handling the fight against terrorism -- a traditional strong point in his reputation that nonetheless had flagged to 48 percent in the November poll."

But, as I suspected, the bump is attributable almost entirely to the return of the base -- Republicans disillusioned with Bush's flailing under fire.

Bush's pre-Christmas rebound was fueled largely by a sharp increase in support among his core supporters. In the past month, the proportion of Republicans approving of the president's performance rose nine percentage points, to 87 percent. And among conservatives, three in four said Bush was doing a good job, up 12 points from November. Among Democrats, independents and moderates Bush's support remained unchanged or increased only modestly.

Now that the Dear Leader is back in fighting form and uttering fine sweet nothings, they're willing to give him high marks on the economy and terrorism. I wonder if it ever bothers Bush that he is no longer really the president of this country -- just the president of partisan Republicans.