I'm sure you all do in fact know why the Democrats have been unable to capitalize on Bush's misfortunes. It's because Bush pictures himself as a "war president" (albeit the war (on terrorism) is one he declared--and it will be never be over). And he has sold most of the US public on the notion that the US is at war. And many Democrats are deathly afraid of being smeared as unpatriotic for "not supporting the troops in a time of war" (i.e. Bush's war in Iraq). The Democrats have already seen how masterful the current administration is on precisely such a smear campaign.