December 20, 2005 |  


For many weeks the president has been having a bad day, but after months of struggle the year is turning into a good one after all. Nobly suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, George W Bush has taken arms against a sea of troubles, with a will so strong it must be steel. By opposing these demons has he finally ended the onslaught of these furry beasts? No, but I think in all fairness, you need to give him an E for effort. Finally the roosters have come home to roost, and before very much longer there'll be eggs to be hatched.

It's about time. With even the far left Washington Post reporting a huge surge in the Bush's popularity, it's obvious that the president's comeback is fully underway. How big is this reversal of fortune? Huge. Massive. Startling. Imagine Vanilla Ice returning with an even bigger hit than 'Ice Ice Baby' and you'll get some idea of the unprecedented scale of his rebound.

An eight point rise in one month - Holy cow, that's twenty percent! At that rate, by summer he could be more popular than ice cream. Of course there will always be the America haters who refuse to cut the man any slack regardless of how magnificently he performs, but realistically I think we can look forward to an approval rating in the mid to upper seventies by the time that red red robin come bob bob bobbing along.

Much like a fine cigar, this president gets better with each and every puff. Call him Rocky if you will - Rocky Patel, a vintage 90 Robusto, a smooth and earthy smoke with a hint of cedar, and a finish reminiscent of Italian espresso, not the Starbucks variety, but a deep dark blend one might find in the finer establishments south of Verona. No, make that Milan, for there the java bean is picked directly from the lush and fragrant coffee tree and brewed with the finest mountain spring water.

Indeed, there is an art to savoring a grand cigar, much as there is an art to appreciating a great president. The first third is filled with rich and exotic flavors and fragrances, a myriad delight of spice and vegetal, old friends and new beginnings. The last third - the finish - defines the whole experience of the cigar, and sets the memory that's destined to play upon your palate. The middle part is just there because it has to be. Such is the nature of things. And now that we've smoked past the middle of George W Bush, it's time to pour three fingers of single malt and prepare for a fabulous finish.