Are Republicans past their love affair with Bush?

[gulliver]

The Republicans I know used to act like Dubya was a "great" president. They were enthusiastic about him. What an amazingly brave, straight talking leader he was... how intrepid... how decisive... how steadfast... how humble... and what a "small town" moral man he was.

That seems to be completely gone now. I've heard some Republicans openly wishing McCain were running. Of course they complain about Kerry, but Republicans I know just don't seem to glow with approval of George W. Bush the way they used to.

One of my best friends, a Republican, was going on and on about Michael Moore being so terrible and Fahrenheit 9/11 being such awful fiction ... but the funny thing was, he wouldn't say anything good about Bush. I pointed out that Lee Iaccoca had switched from Bush to Kerry, and you could practically hear his jaw drop over the phone. This is a former GM/EDS employee.

My friend is a Texas Republican and he may still vote for Bush. But I think he's one of a growing group of Republicans who wish they had someone in the race besides Bush.

[caledesi]

1. It's funny how you never hear the news programs talk about *

as "this very popular president."

[blackcat77]

2. They're getting there

There's a lot of "I'll vote for him but I'll be holding my nose" stuff out there. And that's a very short step from just staying home altogether. There are a lot of true conservatives who feel very betrayed with this bunch.

[BootinUp]

3. I've noticed

that people are taking their Bush/Cheney stickers off of their cars here in North Georgia. That says it all folks. :)

[Jade Fox]

4. You know what they say: Be careful what you wish for....

I think all sane Republicans regret that they allowed this bunch into
power.

As for the far right Christian Fundamentalist wing of the GOP, I'm
guessing they are pretty discouraged right now too. They believed
too much of their own bullshit. The bought the theory that God is on
their side and put Bush in office. They were sure they owned the moral
highground. They imagined that with a little power the rest of us could
be forced to fall in line and see the error of our ways, and never
expected that we would fight back.

[lancdem]

5. Just the fact that there's talk about replacing Cheney as VP

less than four months before the election tells you what deep shit Bush is in.

[sandnsea]

6. I agree

I've heard a few at least hemming and hawing and questioning. A few others in out right revolt. I think the polls might even reflect Republicans who say they're going to vote for Bush because they aren't quite ready to admit to themselves Bush really is a disaster.