Several polls have showed a steady increase in the President’s job approval rating. Only a few weeks ago. President Bush’s approval rating hovered around the 30s now that number is beginning to climb. For some time now the Phalanx has lamented the fact that Bush has allowed the left to set the agenda in Washington. He has allowed the left to cast the economy in a negative light, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. He has allowed the left to control the spin on the Iraq war, in spite of all available common sense (and Democratic hypocrisy). He has walked away from fight after fight on social security, school reform, Medicare, etc…

Having a president who is resolute in his convictions is meaningless if he is unwilling to take the time to convince the American people that he is doing the right thing. Without the support of the public no leader can govern effectively. It seems the president has finally gotten the message. More and more, the president has been speaking about Iraq, speaking about progress in the war, speaking about democracy and speaking about tough decisions. He has even begun to speak about the amazing vitality and resilience of the American economy, though not nearly as much as we would like, certainly not as much as Clinton in the 90s or Reagan in the 80s.

The president still must do more. He has an obligation to provide clear direction and up until a few weeks ago he had failed miserably in that task. Today we can give him a C-, but much more work is needed. Its time the president dispel the Iraq War propaganda perpetrated by the left. Its time the president, tout the progress (significant in every respect) of the American economy. In short, its time the president acted like the president and not some timid schoolboy, incapable of speaking up for himself. The President, however, has his work cut out for him. There is a growing population indoctrinated with the entitlement philosophy who have come to expect reward without effort. There is a growing chorus from the minimum wage (and minimum skill) workers of America who expect greater return for their minimum skill jobs and then there is the leftist Democratic part, determined to convince everyone that subservience to the state is the path to progress.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-12-12-bush-approval_x.htm