Fred Barnes in a 2005 Wall Street Journal op-ed:

Popularity Isn’t Everything
By Fred Barnes

…Bush’s popularity dropped in 2003 after the terrorist insurgency spread in Iraq. And except for a blip or two, it hasn’t risen significantly since… Instead, his job performance rating in the Gallup Poll has dipped further…

[T]the president has taken on a string of big issues… with predictable results. These are issues that generate political conflict. They upset settled practice, rile various institutions, stir strong opposition, and keep poll ratings low. For an activist president, lack of popularity is part of the package…

In crass political terms, you might say Bush is “stuck” with an agenda and a far-reaching one at that…

[Bush’s] best strategy may be to promote his policies more aggressively than ever, ignore falling poll numbers, and hope for the best. Crossing the finish line of his presidency with record low popularity may turn out to be a sign of substantive achievement and lasting reform.

Barnes in a WSJ op-ed yesterday:

The Tyranny of the Majority Party
By Fred Barnes

…Democrats in Washington do have large majorities in Congress. But instead of reflecting popular opinion, they are pursuing wide-ranging initiatives in defiance of the views of the majority of Americans.

…With large congressional majorities, Democrats decided to forget about Mr. Obama’s campaign theme of bipartisanship. They brook no compromise with Republicans and forge ahead on issue after issue… despite the public’s mounting disapproval.

Like his Weekly Standard colleague Bill Kristol, Barnes has made a career out of ideological hackery, but this is audacious even by his standards.