Bush Tries to Salvage the Second Term

As this USA Today article illustrates, things have not been going Bush's way of late. The death count in Iraq is hefty, debt is mounting, economic indicators are mixed, and he managed to upset the left and right with his last Supreme Court pick. To make matters worse, the strong points of the economy include oil and military spending.

Is it too late for the president to salvage his presidency? Probably not. The public has been very liberal with him to date. However, ignoring issues that impact the average American and instead leveraging patriotism may no longer be an option. If Americans struggle through the holiday season, it will be difficult to stick with the company line.

How should he turn things around? As you've probably noticed in my comments, I'm of the belief that healthcare is hurting businesses and the people. It may not be easy to justify a $26,000 call center job in this country, but try tacking on another $10,000 in healthcare premiums that some companies may cover for a family. U.S. workers justify a premium as U.S. consumers prefer them in this case, but the added healthcare costs are almost insurmountable.

Beyond that, in a perfect world, I wish we were at least spending this debt money by investing in our economy. I realize that is no longer an option though with the war. Incentives to add jobs in this country are a common sense benefit to provide though. Employees paying at least some in taxes is better than paying out unemployment. Moving a little more to the center and truly compromising might help, too.

Of course, the issues abroad may be too much for Bush to beat if things don't change, and I don't think they will change a great deal. This battle is unparalleled, as they are not fighting a true army. So it will have to drag out, and we can only hope things improve. If Bush can boost real job/wage growth and see things turn around a bit abroad, he might be able to salvage his legacy. I think it'll be a tough road at this point, though.