The Diminished President

[J. J.]

First, Obama's suggestion several months ago for a "grand solution" and Reid wouldn't go along.  It was good, but Obama did not have the clout to push it.

Second, GWB was higher in the polls at this juncture, by 16 points on Gallup.

[J. J.]

First, Obama's suggestion several months ago for a "grand solution" and Reid wouldn't go along.  It was good, but Obama did not have the clout to push it.

Second, GWB was higher in the polls at this juncture, by 16 points on Gallup.

W was higher because he had started a war and people were nervously rallying behind him. It's not at all comparable.

I'm not the guy who made that comparison; the author of the article did.

[J. J.]

First, Obama's suggestion several months ago for a "grand solution" and Reid wouldn't go along.  It was good, but Obama did not have the clout to push it.

Second, GWB was higher in the polls at this juncture, by 16 points on Gallup.

Ah, so Bush suffered from a small, roughly five point Bradley Effect on election day then.

He did in my neighborhood.

At this point in 2003, GWB was 16 points higher on Gallup.  Now, there were reasons, i.e. he was coming off the Iraq invasion high.  I don't know why the NYT made the comparison.