Republican strategists outside the Bush campaign believe that a fight over issues can be won, but they lament that Bush has given ground in the way the debate will be framed, particularly the fact that Bush has let the reform mantle slip away. Bush, said one strategist, should not have allowed Gore to emerge as the opponent of special interests. Bush has retooled his campaign to make his agenda more attractive to voters. He will campaign more informally and find voters who can help demonstrate his argument that his tax plan, his prescription drug plan, his Social Security plan and his education program would do more for ordinary Americans than Gore's. You tell me how they're cratering.
Democrats say the structure of the presidential race now favors the vice president.
The next weeks will tell whether Bush has the formula to move the contest decisively in his direction.