The Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA)'s report studying characteristics of Bush supporters examined the wide chasm between Bushists' view of the Bush administration's policies and reality way back in October 2004:
Even after the final report of Charles Duelfer to Congress saying that Iraq did not have a significant WMD program, 72% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq had actual WMD (47%) or a major program for developing them (25%). Fifty-six percent assume that most experts believe Iraq had actual WMD and 57% also assume, incorrectly, that Duelfer concluded Iraq had at least a major WMD program... Similarly, 75% of Bush supporters continue to believe that Iraq was providing substantial support to al Qaeda, and 63% believe that clear evidence of this support has been found. Sixty percent of Bush supporters assume that this is also the conclusion of most experts, and 55% assume, incorrectly, that this was the conclusion of the 9/11 Commission.
Post "election," this chasm between the fantasized, nearly deified, Bush and the reality of his politics has widened. Bushists expected a relatively fast resolution in Iraq and have waning tolerance for this war. In addition, Bushists have prioritized slashing the budget deficit over more Bush top-slanted tax cuts. Bush is ill-positioned to deliver the first; he has no intention of delivering the second. The "hunt for bin Laden" has now been relegated to the sphere of farce and satire; Afghanistan, with its warlord pseudo-political structure, substantial heroin enterprise, and recent bloody protests, seems less Bush's shining example of his war on terror and more another ill-equipped Bush failure.
For "socially conservative" Bushists, sly, neatly unarticulated and certainly insincere virtual promises to launch vigorous attacks on homosexuality and abortion were breached soon after the elections, and if Frist's nuclear option threat continues to appear less mushroom cloud and more hot air, will continue to be breached.
Can real media coverage of the Downing Street Meeting Memo serve as the final impudus for Bushists to abandon the lemon they purchased in 2005?
I think so, and this is why:
According to Gallup, as of April 2, 2005:
Is honest and trustworthy?
Applies to Bush: 56%
Doesn't apply to Bush: 42%
Shares your values
Applies to Bush: 55%
Doesn't apply to Bush: 43%
Do you think the Bush administration deliberately misled the American public about whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, or not?
Yes, deliberately misled: 50%
No, did not: 48%
Nearly half of this country does not believe that Bush lied about WMDs. Most of the country believes that Bush is trustworthy and moral. Real coverage of the Downing Street smoking gun has the potential of collapsing the image of Bush as the sincere, yet misguided, buffoon.