Krugman points out the obvious, Bush is aligned with his base. He has been a disaster, but he accurately reflects the modern GOP. The GOP, of course, also reflects a chunk of America:
Don’t Blame Bush - New York TimesNo matter the name of the GOP candidate running in 2008 (it won't be McCain), the policies will be those of a sick party. More Bush, in other words.
....What we need to realize is that the infamous “Bush bubble,” the administration’s no-reality zone, extends a long way beyond the White House. Millions of Americans believe that patriotic torturers are keeping us safe, that there’s a vast Islamic axis of evil, that victory in Iraq is just around the corner, that Bush appointees are doing a heckuva job — and that news reports contradicting these beliefs reflect liberal media bias.
And the Republican nomination will go either to someone who shares these beliefs, and would therefore run the country the same way Mr. Bush has, or to a very, very good liar...
The GOP needs 10 years in the wilderness to rebuild and reform.