Whit Ayres
Whit Ayres
history matter period presidents react run
History suggests that all presidents go through times like this. For presidents, it is not a matter of if you will run into a period like this. It is how you react to them.
devoted either extreme extremely judge law legal majority particular people pleased president promoting roberts somebody vast
People on either extreme would not be thrilled. But the vast majority would be extremely pleased if the president could find another Judge Roberts out there. Somebody of superb and unquestioned legal qualifications, devoted more to the law than promoting a particular agenda.
almost approval historical president rating rough says ultimate unusual
Not only is it not unusual for a president to have an approval rating at 38 percent, it's almost predictable. Every president has rough patches, it says nothing about the ultimate historical judgment.
concern dominated effect general headlines laid low thousands
First, there's general concern about globalization and its effect on American manufacturing jobs. We see low unemployment, but the headlines are dominated by the thousands being laid off by General Motors and Ford.
driven events iraq opinion public
Public opinion on Iraq is overwhelmingly driven by events on the ground,
confusion initial major months obviously plan selection seniors start test worked
There's obviously a lot of confusion at the start of any major new program, but the real test will come in 9 or 10 months when seniors have made the selection of a plan and some of the initial kinks have been worked out.
chief elevate judge justice roberts switch
to elevate Roberts, Ayres said. ''It makes a whole lot of sense to switch Judge Roberts over to the chief justice position.
convinced good group middle minds people point
Most people have made up their minds about him one way or the other, but there's still a persuadable group in the middle who can be convinced that he's doing a good job, who are not at this point convinced.
bad bunch dropped faces hard news pile problem side spin tends troubles
It's hard to spin this as anything other than another problem dropped on the pile of troubles our side faces now. Bad news tends to come in bunches, and we've had a bunch lately.
concern factors gas guy jobs lead overseas people regardless sent weariness whether worry
It's a combination of weariness over Iraq, concern about gas prices, worry about jobs being sent overseas and other factors that lead people to be in a funk. When people are in a funk, they take it out on the guy in charge, regardless of whether he's responsible or not.
deal elections funk glad great held mood time
Well before this happened, I was glad the '06 elections weren't being held this summer. The country's in a funk, and it was in a funk before Katrina. But there's a great deal of time for that mood to change.
almost depends few growing major next program question seniors today
A lot of it depends upon how the program evolves over the next few months. Every major program is going to have growing pains. That's almost inevitable. The real question is not what seniors think of the program today as much as what they think of it at the end of the enrollment period.
george
always underestimate George Bush, and they are still doing it.
historical unusual
the most challenging of his presidency, but not that unusual from a historical perspective.