A question of competence: George W. Bush has failed in some basics

National Review, April 2, 2007 by Richard Lowry

In a reversal of the usual presidential pattern, Bush's team has gotten more talented in some respects rather than less later in his administration--for instance, Harriet Miers is out as White House counsel, replaced by the respected Washington lawyer Fred Fielding. And a new ethic has taken hold. There was an entirely appropriate round of swift firings in reaction to the Walter Reed scandal. But after six years, the administration can be run perfectly until January 2009 and the charge of incompetence will still bite.

So one thing Republican voters are going to be looking for is a different type of executive from Bush. They will want a manager who is detail-oriented (in contrast to Bush's fondness for delegation), tough (not so reflexively supportive of those in his administration or tolerant of dissension), and proven (in jobs more demanding than part owner of a baseball team or governor in a state where the office is weak). These qualities might prove to have pitfalls of their own, but they play to Giuliani's strengths, and also to those of Mitt Romney. This needn't be determinative, obviously. Many other factors will play a role in the nomination. But the "competence primary" is important, and already raging.