You can believe if you want that the only people upset with Bush are the unappeasables. Given that there have been a lot of them at FR over the last two years, that perspective is understandable. However, let me tell you how I see it (and this is, of course, just my opinion and it is based on anecdotal evidence).
I live in Oklahoma, and I work at a Fortune 500 company, where by and large everybody I know in my neighborhood and everyone I work with is a mainstream conservative. Yet, just about every single person that I know has nothing positive to say about Bush (at least on domestic issues) and they are only motivated to vote for him because he is not Kerry or Dean. This is different from 2000. In 2000, myself and the people I associated with (although I lived in the Northeast then) were motivated to vote FOR Bush because we liked him and what he stood for. What I am hearing now from the mainstream people that I associate with (30's, 40's, kids, job, self-described conservative) is what I remember hearing in 1996. In 1996 most of us weren't FOR Dole, we were AGAINST Clinton.
When I observe among the mainstream conservatives that I know the attitude that was prevelant in 1996, rather than 2000, it scares the life out of me.
You can beleive all you want that the only people who have a problem with Bush are the unappeasables. You can beleive all you want that the recent polls showing Bush behind are the result of the primaries. Or, you can consider that perhaps Bush really isn't doing a very good job to motivate mainstream conservatives to vote for him. Perhaps you can consider that Bush's poll declines match EXACTLY with the recent attention give to his spending by CATO and the Heritage Foundation.
While I admire your support of the part and of the president, I do think that a lot of people here are failing to see that there is a true threat of a serious lack of enthusiasm among those who were so enthusiastic about his campaign in 2000.
I'm not happy with Bush's spending. I'm not happy with open borders. I'm not happy with illegal aliens being given anything, except, perhaps, a boot.
But what are the alternatives? Rats who'll spend more. Rats whose only goals are power and to destroy the Constitution, place our country's "defenses" into the hands of the UN, raising taxes to fund greater amounts of programs, placing liberals on the bench to usurp the laws made by the people and their elected officials.....
Letters to Bush, stating concerns would be better than not voting for him. Letters to your elected officials would be even better (unless, of course, your elected officials are Hitlery and Schumer).