Well-said. Whatever happened to the infectous optimism of Reagan among conservatives? Some still have it (we see it here, for the most part), but some would rather suck on lemons and complain.
"I think that the negative image of the President comes from actual surveys among Republican voters. Many Republicans are buying into the Media propaganda that President Bush is not well liked for a wide variety of reasons."
WRONG! . . . President Bush is actually WELL-LIKED by 93% of Republicans and 56% of Independents -- the rest is pure MSM propaganda! . . . Please read the following:
MSM polls are designed to produce results supportive of the leftist/Democrat political agenda . . . For RELIABLE polling data, refer to the most respected INDEPENDENT pollster in the business today: Ed Goeas and The Battleground Poll
THE BATTLEGROUND POLL 2007:
PRESIDENT BUSH
42% JA rating//45% Favorability rating (JA and Favorability ratings are now synonymous!)
61% LIKABILITY RATING
[FYI: The Battleground Poll remains the only poll that consistently tracks a president's 'likability rating'. Before Clinton, all MSM pollsters produced likability ratings; however, when it became obvious that Clinton's 'LR' rating would never rise above 40%, the MSM pollsters stopped taking the measure!]
"CONTINUING A TREND SEEN THROUGHOUT HIS PRESIDENCY, THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL APPROVAL RATING REMAINS HIGH at sixty-one (61%) of likely voters approving of him personally, a sign that the President has an opening to at some point move his image and JA rating net positive. On this measure 93% OF REPUBLICANS and 56% OF INDEPENDENTS APPROVE OF HIM. The President continues to have a considerable amount of personal good will not only with his base Republican voters, but also with those key Independent voters."
You will find more polling statistics and analysis at
http://www.tarrance.com/Republican-Analysis.pdf
PERSPECTIVE:
President Reagan experienced sub-par job approval ratings for much of his presidency (Gallup).
In fact, by 1987, 60% of Republicans/conservatives indicated that they DEFINITELY wanted a new direction and, even if it were possible, would NOT vote for President Reagan again!
And by 1993, 61% of Americans considered Reagan's economic policies a FAILURE (Gallup)!
Yet at his funeral, President Reagan was lauded by Republicans and Democrats alike . . . He is now considered one of the best presidents of all time! . . . I predict the same result for President George W Bush!
For more insight (and a major REALITY CHECK), please read the following editorial from COMMENTARY magazine:
IS CONSERVATISM FINISHED?
By Wilfred M. McClay
. . . We also forget that the Reagan administration itself, far from being happily unified, was driven by internal battles between “pragmatists” and “ideologues,” conflicts that prefigured many of the policy battles of the present. And we forget that, outside the administration, REAGAN GOT PLENTY OF GRIEF FROM HIS OWN RIGHT AS WELL.
You can read all about this 'grief' at
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/cm/main/viewArticle.aip?id=10812&page=all