President Bush did well in 2000 by pointing out that Clinton had promised a prescription drug benefit in '92, and again in '96, and Gore was running on that in 2000. The best part was that Gore's drug benefit wasn't scheduled to take effect until 2010. Bush promised to get a drug benefit right away, and the rest is history.

Then again, Bush also promised to "take care of the border." He made that same promise in '04, and made a half-hearted effort recently. With the potential to lose big in the upcoming elections, Congress finally decided to authorize building a fence/wall (although that's only the beginning; no plans are drawn up, no money's been spent). For the last several months we've heard how it's only knuckle-dragging conservatives who would want a fence/wall, and that all right-thinking Americans think it's a terrible idea.

Based on recent Democratic activity and political positions, it looks like a fence/wall is actually a middle-ground position.