Texas Gov. George W. Bush's forays into Iowa this Saturday and New Hampshire the following Monday are sure to be among the most important developments of this year's presidential politics. There will be over 250 reporters from all over the globe ready to scrutinize every word and move by Bush. The big question is whether he measures up to the soaring expectations most people have of him. His performance this week will have an enormous impact not just on his own candidacy, but also on the candidacies of the other GOP presidential challengers.
Republican strategists and neutral observers acknowledge that Bush's lead and high expectations are somewhat incongruous with his relative -- compared both to many of his rivals' and past frontrunners' -- political inexperience. The fact that he has won just one tough race in his life, and that during the best Republican election year since 1946, makes his high polling numbers worthy of examination.
Veteran Republican fundraisers, including key operatives for many of Bush's rivals, privately concede that this perception of inevitability for Bush's nomination as the GOP
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