[ohioWfan]

That being said, there is a strong perception he is out to lunch

Only if you trust the media, and don't bother to find out the facts.

[HitmanLV]

The perception is far more important than the reality in a lot of cases. Dubya cultivated a poor perception over the last 10 weeks. That the perception is, in fact, inaccurate is valid, but to the extent the perception exists is the important thing.