I'm not sure that Bush is "receiving the benefit of low expectations." There have been plenty of signs that he has some idea of what needs to be done, and a reasonable way of attempting to achieve those goals. Despite the debate over how many more times he had to fly to run out his commission, he was a pilot and stupid pilots end up being the first person at the scene of their own plane crash. Any one who has been to flight school can verify this.

His grades were better than Gores and he obtained a Master's degree (Gore did not).

But I believe the most important fact is, that his enemies have had such glee at creating or passing on every criticisim that can be leveled at him, that at some point, given the law of Deminishing Returns, they are proved wrong in dramatic fashion. It's at this point that the public, which tends to ignore the whole "Bash Whoevers President" cycle, is drawn into the fray as the media picks up on the public interest, creating a cycle of Media Interest reporting on Public Interest which is reading Media Interest reporting on Public Interest ad nauseum.

I've often quoted the old Arabic saying that "Dogs bark, but the caravan moves on". It happened with Clinton, it will happen with Bush. There are too many people on both sides of the asile who will not let the office fail, even if it's not their guy. And you govern from the middle no matter who your supporters are. America, to my mind, has always been one of the more interesting caravans to be on...