Not quite true. While I agree that the DBM had successfully demonized Bush and the Republicans, the Republicans in the Congress aided and abetted their own demise through sheer ineptness. They had lurched so far to the left while they had all 3 branches of government that it became impossible to distinguish them from Democrats. As a result of the lines between Dems and 'Pubbies being so blurred, NO ONE could distinguish one from the other. In '06, the election was essentially, "what the h&ll, the 'Pubbies aren't doing what I want, maybe the Dems will." By '08, the DBM had managed to discredit all of the decent 'Pubbies running for prez except their favorite butt boy McVain while building that "Stairway to Heaven" with zero so that EVERYONE wanted to vote for him and not the old, entrenched white guy. The "good guys in the white hats" had simply disappeared and were replaced by a despicable class of RINOS who are still there.
Because Tom Delay was hounded out of office with the Democrats charges from Texas(rallying conservatives), conservatives lost sight that Tom Delay led the House in a pork and spend strategy the mid Bush years.. Even Bush complained about it but went along because he had his own spending priorities he wanted and didnt want to be seen as fighting congressional Republicans until after the 2006 loss.
Once Pelosi and Reid took over the sky was the limit for Bush approved spending. Bush wanted his War spending at any cost, then was his stimulus and bailout spending priorities, and democrats planned on blaming the deficits on Bush which they effectively did as they ramped up historical spending and debt.