Democrats and Republicans alike say he is eminently personable and is an exceptionally good listener. And unlike many politicians, he's extraordinarily self-disciplined. Some Beltway cynics still predict he'll flounder in the fishbowl of the White House. Critics say Bush lacks the communication ability to persuade Americans via television. By the end of his first week in office, more than 90 senators and representatives had trouped over to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to talk turkey with the Boss.
Standards are too low.
For their part, Republican strategists are thrilled at the expectations game. It makes it all the easier for President Bush to succeed. And some prominent Democrats admit that, with Greenspan's blessing of a rate cute during his testimony before Congress, some sort of cut also is inevitable. With expectations that low for vouchers, even a vastly watered-down compromise could be declared a victory by Bush. The Pundit Elite still discounts Bush's ability to hang tough.