Could anyone help me analyse the phrase “as with so much” in the sentence below?
As with so much, the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.
I knew the meaning of it, however its grammar makes me confused.
As with so much = in the same way as in many other cases.
I think it is really a idiomatic expression. I understand it to mean “As with so much,” or “As with so much,”
Hello, Luschen.
Thanks for the answer. I am still confused about the phrase.
I wonder if the noun after the adjective “so much” was omitted here.
Is my understanding correct?
Hi, the noun was not omitted, here “much” is acting as a pronoun, so no noun is necessary. It is like the expression - “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
If there was a noun, it would not be “possibility” or “likelihood”, it would be something like “As with so many other situations, the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.” I could not come up with a suitable non-countable noun so I had to change it to “many”.
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Hello, Screen:
I have been thinking very hard about your insightful question and Luschen’s informative answer. May I give my two cents’ worth?
First, let me give you what I found in two good dictionaries:
a. “so much” is a pronoun. It refers to something that is not specified or determined.
b. “so much” is a phrase. It indicates a particular but unspecific quantity.
So I guess that we can all agree that “so much” is the object of the preposition “with.”
Using the information that you and Luschen gave us members, I have come up with an idea. I am NOT saying that it is correct. I am just throwing it out for discussion in this forum of ideas.
I was just wondering whether or not the “complete” sentence could be something like:
As +has been the case + with so much + that the Bush administration has ALREADY done, the Bush administration has AGAIN gone off the deep end.
The Bush administration has again gone off the deep end, as has been the case with so much that the Bush administration has already done.
“with so much” is a prepositional phrase that modifies the noun “case.”
“that the Bush administration has already done” is an adjective clause that modifies the pronoun / noun equivalent “so much.”
James
Hi James, thank you so much for putting my thoughts into words for me! 
I am SO happy that they are your thoughts, too.
Now I do not feel so lonely!
Thanks, Cristina.
Thanks a lot, Luschen and James.
James, you made it simple and direct to the point.
To be honest, I didn’t really understand that sentence until reading your “complete” sentence.
As has been the case with so much that the Bush administration has ALREADY done, the Bush administration has AGAIN gone off the deep end.
Could you comment on Luschen’s sentence?
As with so many other situations, the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.
Based on your analysis, I tried to make the sentence complete as follows:
As has been the case with so many other situations, the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.
I wonder if “many” is a pronoun here. It looks, to me, like an adjective or a quantifier.
And can we omit “other situations”?
As (has been the case) with so many (other situations), the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.
Hi, Screen:
Thank you for your kind words.
Your question really forced me to think.
We have a saying: Quit while you are ahead.
In other words, IF (if!) my answer was correct, I am very happy. But I do not dare say anything else.
So I will let other members answer your new questions. I also want to know the answers.
Have a nice day!
James
No, many in this particular case is not a pronoun, it is an adjective, so “As with so many, the Bush administration has gone off the deep end.” would NOT be correct.
Still, you could write a sentence like “As with so many, we too are saddened by the typhoon in the Philippines.” meaning “Along with so many other people, we too are saddened by the typhoon in the Philippines.”