Who created the fiction that Bush doesn't poll and use the results to create policy?
No administration has spent more on polling than this one.
The acceptance speech GWB performed at the RNC was originally to have more mention of the new NASA Mars initiative. but guess what? It didn't test well and was dropped a couple of days before the speech.
Haven't heard much about the Mars initiative since the big speech Bush gave? Well, it just didn't boost his polling numbers, so the whole thing is now 'stopped in Congress.' Just like that SoTU pledge for $15 million to fight AIDS in Africa. Didn't poll well;
AFAIK, not a dollar has been sent to date.
So GWB is not only changing his direction on poll numbers; he's dishonoring his
promises.