Reply #9: Bush's polling is directly determined by media coverage. Media is

[AP]

directly controlled by Bush.

Bush is intentionally bringing his numbers down now in a ploy to encourage the Dems to nominate a candidate who can't beat him, and in order to develop a narrative (down, attacked unfairly, good news leaks out, a few successes, media stops talking about war no matter what happens in Iraq, and suddenly the sinking dollar causes blue collar jubs to increas and the media can't stop lauding Bush for this) and that narrative leads to a Bush victory against the Dukakis-like candidate.