George the Beloved?

Defying all logic and rational explanation, it appears that George W Bush is beloved of God after all. The man may have sneaked his way into the Presidency; mocked as Dubya the Dummy; and universally reviled as the biggest warmonger since Genghis Khan, but he appears to be going out with a bang.

Consider the facts. He has managed to get sworn enemies, the Presidents of Israel and Palestine to smile and shake hands on network television; he has persuaded his fair weather pal, President Musharaff of Pakistan, to lift the state of emergency in his nation; and, most important, the ‘surge’ in Iraq – which Democrats hoped would be the last nail in his coffin – actually seems to be working.

It may all fizzle out in the end, of course. There is many a slip between shaking hands and signing a peace treaty. Mush may decide, to hell with Bush, he enjoys his absolute power too much to give it up (the elections in January may well turn out to be a farcical exercise). The relative peace and stability in Iraq may be only a lull before the bad guys regroup and attack with renewed vigour; or maybe the Sunnis and Shias have fought themselves to a standstill – not to mention that the surge makes the continued presence of US soldiers in Iraq all that more indispensable. However, right now, Dubya is being hailed in international forums as George the Magnificent – and he is reveling in it. That perpetual smirk has broadened into a huge smile.

Ironically, all this adulation is causing problems for the Republican Presidential candidates, who have been scoring brownie points by taking snide pot shots at their Great White Chief. They may now have to switch tracks and vow to carry on his legacy. As for the Democrats, their principal target seems to no longer present a ringing argument for change. Some Democrats are even starting to wonder if, after all, the Christian Conservatives do have God on their side.

But hey! Good news is good news. If his ‘friends’ manage not to screw everything up before next November, Bush may yet look down at his remorseful flock and say "I told you so."