George W. Bush: The Original Obama

The New York Times' A1 story on Matt Dowd is worth reading for the confessions of a Bush devotee—not just some cabinet secretary, but a up-from-Texas day-one Kool-Aid-guzzler—who's given up hope in the president's projects.

Mr. Dowd said he decided to become a Republican in 1999 and joined Mr. Bush after watching him work closely with Bob Bullock, the Democratic lieutenant governor of Texas, who was a political client of Mr. Dowd and a mentor to Mr. Bush.

"It's almost like you fall in love," he said. "I was frustrated about Washington, the inability for people to get stuff done and bridge divides. And this guy's personality — he cared about education and taking a different stand on immigration."

Hrm. That sounds exactly like the appeal of the two Democratic frontrunners. Obama has that murky "appeal" that makes everyone around him want to worship (in some cases literally). Hillary Clinton has evolved from the cookie-hating, health care-bungling gorgon of the 1990s by working closely with those ever-hard-to-impress Senate Republicans and people like Newt Gingrich. Hell, she co-sponsored a bill with Rick Santorum—did presidential boda fides ever shine so brightly?