The Pariah President

"'In 2006 there were a few districts where he was very helpful,' said David Wasserman, who tracks House races for the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter. 'I don't think there's a district now where he can help.' . . .

"Nine out of 10 Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, Mr. Bush's job approval ratings are at historic lows, and his days in office are numbered. Analysts are predicting significant Democratic gains in the House and Senate; Republican congressional candidates are just trying to survive.

"That is why there have been no traditional rallies -- an extraordinary break from the practice of past two-term presidents, like Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. It is why most of Mr. Bush's events have been to raise money for campaign committees, as opposed to individual candidates.

"And it is why the party's presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, has studiously avoided Mr. Bush."

Ryan Grim writes for Politico: "President Bush has raised $146 million for Republican Party committees and candidates this election -- $40 million less than he raised last cycle. . . .

"Bush's drop contributes significantly to the financial shortfall the Republicans face heading into November, and it represents a major shift from just a year ago. . . .

"The White House blames the drop on economic and natural disasters. . . .

"Bush did not attend the Republican National Convention this fall, appearing only on video beamed in from Washington by satellite. . . .

"One-fourth of Bush's 2008 haul comes from a single event in June -- the annual 'President's Dinner' at the Washington Convention Center. The event brought in $21.5 million. McCain did not attend."

Having avoided Bush throughout the campaign, McCain has recently been going even further to distance himself from the president. Johanna Neuman blogs for the Los Angeles Times: "For days now, Republican John McCain has been trying to separate himself from President Bush. At almost every campaign stop, he blasts the administration for heading the country 'in the wrong direction' and accuses the Bush Treasury Department of being more interested in 'bailing out the banks' than helping struggling homeowners. His running mate, Sarah Palin, echoes the point, asking voters 'to send us to Washington to shake things up and clean things up.' . . .

"But it's also no secret that the president's approval ratings are at historic lows. So [on Tuesday,] White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said that Bush, who won not one but two presidential elections, understands that a candidate for the highest office in the land has to do what he or she has to do.

"She even suggested that McCain had the president's blessings to demonstrate distance between them, saying: 'Every presidential candidate is going to run their campaign however they see fit. And remember that George W. Bush -- George H.W. Bush had to distance himself from President Reagan; President -- Vice President Gore distanced himself from Clinton. And we recognize that John McCain has to run on his own.'"