Those comments -- and more inflammatory suggestions from Republicans such as Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah that terrorists would prefer a Kerry victory -- have sparked outrage among Democrats and some editorial writers.
White House officials say the criticism represents a double standard. One senior official said that while Vice President Dick Cheney was criticized for arguing that a Kerry victory would make another terrorist attack more likely, the Massachusetts senator in effect levels the same charge by contending that the administration's policies have weakened U.S. security.
"What does that mean?" said the official, who requested anonymity. "It means he thinks terrorists are more likely to attack us [if Bush wins]."
Many analysts think few voters outside of Bush's base will respond to charges that Kerry's criticism is undermining the war effort; in a December 2003 poll, the last time the question was asked, nearly two-thirds of Americans said it was acceptable to publicly criticize a president's military decisions.
More damaging for Kerry, analysts on both sides agree, has been the impression that he has shifted positions on Iraq.
Kerry rejects the charge, saying he voted to authorize force in 2002 to give the president leverage to compel Iraq to permit the resumption of arms inspections, but did not approve of the way Bush then moved to war. Still, Kerry aides acknowledge that a debate priority for him is to appear resolute in his position.
Just as important, Kerry aides say, is to deepen doubts about Bush's trustworthiness on Iraq by pressing the case that the president is denying the extent of the problems there.
Bush has tried to inoculate himself against that charge by acknowledging that, as he put it in his address to the United Nations last week, violence in Iraq is likely "to escalate" as the country moves toward elections scheduled for January.
Yet many analysts believe Bush could still face a credibility gap. "If he is too upbeat, given what we are seeing on television every night, he runs the risk of being out of touch on Iraq," said Miringoff.
