September 27, 2004, 8:18 a.m.
The Kerry Comeback
How it could happen.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article appears in the October 11, 2004, issue of National Review.

Things are looking pretty grim for John Kerry as I write in mid-September. A few polls have him trailing President Bush by double digits, with Bush way ahead on national security and pulling even on traditional Democratic issues such as health care and education. During the summer it looked as though Kerry might be able to win Ohio, West Virginia, and other states that had backed Bush in 2000. Now Bush is raiding Democratic territory: He is leading in Wisconsin, and probably tied in Minnesota. Not a day goes by without talk of a shake-up in the Kerry campaign. Some Democrats have decided not to wait until election day to start their recriminations.

For all that, there is still a chance for Kerry to win the race — if he can find a plausible position on Iraq and stick to it.

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