Hard times ahead for Bush?

The Christian Science Monitor analyses George W. Bush's recent slump in popularity (Bush faces decline in approval ratings), pointing to--among other reasons--the fact that his interference in the late Terri Schiavo case has not gone down well with many Americans (which means that a majority of Americans are abandoning democratic principles by opposing the will of the majority). The Monitor also suggests that "the perception of success and the spread of democracy works against Bush" by causing people to focus on (relatively) more "mundane" issues such as rising petrol prices and Bush's unpopular plans to "reform" social security. Incidentally, His Majesty's Loyal Opposition the Democrats don't get off lightly in the article, either.

So it looks like interesting times are ahead for US politics, because on the other side of the ledger, the Republicans are gearing up to take the small 'l' out of liberal democracy by limiting the powers of the judiciary and the abilities of academics to exercise their First Amendment rights without a lawyer close at hand. (See also: Targeted by Conservatives for Teaching Philosophy)