Gustav's Silver Lining

"If anything, it may be that the low [poll] numbers have become almost a badge of honor for Bush. Not that he wants to be unpopular, but he sees leadership as a test. 'Calcium' is a favorite term he uses with aides to describe the backbone he admires. 'He does make a lot of references to Truman as the model of his late presidency, and the Truman model is unrewarded heroism -- or "heroism" is not the right word: unrewarded courage,' Michael Gerson, another former senior adviser to the president, told me. 'It fits very much his approach and his self-conception. His view of leadership is defined as doing the right thing against pressure.'"

Robert G. Kaiser writes in The Washington Post: "Tying Bush, Cheney and their dreadful approval ratings around the neck of this year's Republican ticket has been the Democrats' dream all year. . . .

"During their convention in Denver, the Democrats made perfectly clear their intention to run against 'McSame' and 'George W. Bush's third term.' Republicans in St. Paul can't hide the fact that they are picking the person they hope will be Bush's successor.

"Wait -- isn't McCain different from Bush? Tim Russert, the late moderator of NBC's 'Meet the Press,' asked McCain precisely that question three years ago. 'No,' McCain replied firmly, 'no.' . . .

"The McCain camp says tying their man to Bush is unfair. . . . Be that as it may, John McCain does have a George W. Bush problem."

Doyle McManus and James Gerstenzang write in the Los Angeles Times: "In his nomination acceptance speech, currently scheduled to be delivered at the convention Thursday, McCain is likely to salute Bush for his conduct of the battle against international terrorism, an advisor said. But the main focus of the speech, he said, will be an explanation of how McCain would chart a new course on the economy and other issues. . . .

"Asked how Bush could help McCain win, Republican strategists offered several recommendations:

"First, stay out of the picture. 'Don't make headlines,' said Mike Murphy, a former McCain aide. 'Let us make the noise.'

"Second, raise money from loyal Republican donors -- not for McCain, who will fund his campaign from federal funds as soon as he is formally nominated, but for the national Republican Party and GOP House and Senate candidates.

"'His fundraising skills are still superb,' Reed said.

"Third, the president should do his best to keep the war in Iraq from erupting anew."

Poll Watch

Mark Memmott and Jill Lawrence blog for USA Today that 64 percent of those surveyed in the latest USA Today/Gallup say they are "very" or "somewhat concerned" that McCain "would pursue policies that are too similar to what George W. Bush has pursued."