Plan for a ground war between these two men. The Republican race is frozen in place, waiting for state legislators in Austin to free Bush from his comfortable captivity in Texas and for handlers in Washington to release Dole from the velvet confines of her own isolation chamber. But the Democratic race is changing every day. At last look, the vice president was streaking to victory, winning the endorsement of commissioners in counties you never knew existed, grabbing contributions from entrepreneurs whose e-companies were still an IPO in Wall Street's eyes. And at last look, Gore was gliding toward the nomination on the jet stream of peace and prosperity.
Peace is yesterday's reverie.
In any case, they're worth about the same as standard-issue politicians at this point, though in a contest where the rebound might take on special importance, Bradley might not be as behind as the experts say. But the primary problem is that the Democratic race has become, as Gore's high-tech friends say, binary. Bradley is in the default position. Right now there are a few surprising signs of life in Bradley's campaign and a few startling signs of weakness in Gore's. Don't bet the gym on Bradley's prospects, but don't count him out, either.