I still think his silence in defending the war over the summer was a strategy
I disagree . . . He seems to have finally realized that he has to constantly "sell" his policies to the public
I concur with your disagreement. :-)
Enthusiastically, with a booming hosanna!
Maybe he was waiting for the 2006 election season to rise in the East. That might be good strategy in normal times, but it has given me quite a fright, because Democrats are much better exploiters of opportunity politics than Republicans.
I kept asking myself, why doesn't he come out and fight?
Worse than that, I kept asking myself, why doesn't he come out and show his face? Instead of Where's Waldo, it was where's W?
Oh, well. No point in dwelling in the past. W has come out swinging, BIG TIME, and the nation is better for it.