[238][239][240] Indeed, Bush's sound bite where he refers to the issue of overarching purpose as "the vision thing" has become a metonym applied to other political figures accused of similar difficulties.[241][242][243][244][245][246] His ability to gain broad international support for the Gulf War and the war's result were seen as both a diplomatic and military triumph,[247] rousing bipartisan approval,[248] though his decision to withdraw without removing Saddam Hussein left mixed feelings, and attention returned to the domestic front and a souring economy.[249] A New York Times article mistakenly depicted Bush as being surprised to see a supermarket barcode reader;[250][251] the report of his reaction exacerbated the notion that he was "out of touch".[250] Amid the early 1990s recession, his image shifted from "conquering hero" to "politician befuddled by economic matters".[252]
At the elite level, a number of commentators and political experts deplored the state of American politics in 1991–1992, and reported the voters were angry. Many analysts blamed the poor quality of national election campaigns.