“…(W)hen voters have enough doubts about a sitting president they begin to consider the alternative. That is not where an incumbent wants to be ‘with little over 100 days until an historic election,’ as Mr. Bush himself described the ticking clock last week.

An incumbent has two choices in this situation. He can work to repair strained bonds with crucial voters or he can try to tear down his opponents plausibility as a replacement. Mr. Bush and his campaign are doing both.” (New York Times)