Bush's Eternal Sunshine

Bush's Oval Office chat yesterday was reminiscent of meetings he held last summer with what I called Bush's Optimists Club. Back then, he summoned right-wing talk-show hosts as well as conservative columnists to hear him insist that he was still feeling sunny.

As I wrote in a January column, Bush's Messiah Complex, Bush has started speaking fervently about how he expects to be remembered -- and it turns out the president sees himself as a heroic figure.

And in a February column, Bush: Clueless and Happy, I noted that Bush seemed unaware of what a drag he'll be on the Republican ticket.

Growing Acceptance? Hardly

The secret to Bush's giddiness? He's apparently mistaking Bush fatigue for Bush acceptance.

Kenneth T. Walsh writes for U.S. News: "To his critics, it may seem a flagrant example of spin or a bizarre case of denial, but President Bush and his senior staff say he is having quite a successful final year in office. He has blocked Democratic attempts to slash funding for the Iraq war and has stopped what he considers unwise constraints on commanders in the field. He is headed for a victory on legislation to authorize eavesdropping on terrorism suspects. . . . 'For the president to be this relevant this late is a pleasant surprise to us,' says a senior White House official."

And while Bush may have Congress on the run, Walsh writes:

"There's another aspect of the White House's upbeat mood. When he travels around the country, Bush feels less 'antipathy' than he used to in the crowds, along the motorcade routes, and expressed by the individuals who talk to him at his events. 'He feels there has been a shift in attitudes out there that's not reflected in polling data,' the aide says.

"Democrats say Bush is living in a dream world if he fails to recognize how unpopular he is and how much he is dragging down his party and GOP presidential candidate John McCain. In fact, advisers to Barack Obama say Bush is a big reason why Obama's message of change resonates so widely and why the Democrats now lead the GOP in voter preference. 'None of this is possible without George Bush,' says Cornell Belcher, Obama's pollster."

As for all the public-opinion polls? "White House officials, by the way, say they aren't sure such polls should be believed because the questions are biased and the population samples are flawed."

But Bush's lack of contact with people who disagree with him is one of the defining aspects of his presidency. Former press secretary Scott McClellan's book vindicates the view of critics that Bush is an incurious man, happily protected from dissenting views inside the White House bubble.

Slinking Around

Of course, one reason Bush might be seeing less hostility on the road is that he's slinking in and out of places. Bush is traveling to private fundraisers in Mississippi and Arkansas today.

The Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger editorial board writes today: "It's difficult to decide what to make of President Bush's 'secret' visit to Mississippi today. After all, it's not like he's sneaking into Baghdad under cover of darkness to escape bombs. Or, is he? Not the explosive kind, but possible verbal bombshells.