Without fear, Pres. Bush’s power diminishes — but that leads to a scary scenario: an amoral leader whose power comes solely from his ability to incite fear in voters facing the loss of the very thing that gives him power. To what lengths might Bush and his political team go in order to scare his sheeple into worshipping him again? Now that is scary.

Pew Research Poll: “The strong focus on news from abroad is having little impact on the public’s political opinions. President Bush’s job approval rating stands at 37 percent, virtually unchanged from July. His personal image continues to be far less positive than it was about a year ago ­ about half the public says he is not a strong leader, not trustworthy, and unable to get things done. Moreover, the renewed emphasis on terrorism has done little to boost the president’s standing on that issue.”