GOP insiders worry that president is vulnerable

[starscape]

I hope this isn't a dupe. If it is, I apologize.
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GOP insiders worry that president is vulnerable

Wed Sep 24, 6:11 AM ET

By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

Some Republicans are saying aloud something that seemed unthinkable just a few months ago: President Bush (news - web sites) could lose next year's election.

There's no panic. There are no calls to the White House urging an overhaul of staff or strategy. But apprehension has seeped into conversations among Republicans in Washington and beyond. A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll out this week is increasing their concern. It found retired general Wesley Clark and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), two Democrats running for president, leading Bush narrowly among registered voters.

"If the economy is not good, we'll have a very close race," says Charlie Black, a veteran Republican strategist in Washington. "In a very close race, you could lose."

Ferrell Blount, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, is bracing for "a very tough fight."

Bush and his advisers have always said publicly that they expect a close election. Those predictions help create low expectations and motivate fundraisers and other volunteers to work hard. For months, Bush campaign manager Ken Mehlman has insisted that he's "assuming a very competitive race."


Privately, however, many supporters were confident Bush would coast to a second term. Now that confidence is giving way to anxiety among some of them.

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the rest is here:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=1&u=/usatoday/20030924/ts_usatoday/11867744

The story is good, but there is a downer in it - it talks about the advantages that an incumbent has, and the fact that Bush is on track to shatter fund raising records with more than $170 million.

I don't have a lot of money lying around, but after we choose our nominee, I really am going to give all I can.. probably more than I can afford.. to try and make a difference. I urge everyone else to do the same. Let's try to level the playing field as much as possible. And to always keep our eyes on the ball, to take out the rat in the White House!