The Economist: The Comeback Kerry

From 9/23, an opinion piece from the Economist:

IN SEPTEMBER 1980 Ronald Reagan was stuck behind Jimmy Carter in the polls. His campaign was in such a shambles that he had to sack his campaign manager. And he was dogged by the belief that he was unelectable. All that changed with a single debate—and Reagan crushed Mr Carter by more than 8m votes.

John Kerry is no Ronald Reagan (though one supporter recently introduced him twice as John Kennedy). But he still has time to turn his campaign round. It is true that the Republicans have the wind in their sails at the moment (New Jersey is now considered a swing state, for heaven's sake). But swing voters seem in an unusually volatile mood. Mr Kerry still has a lot going for him—particularly the energy of a Democratic rank-and-file that will do anything to get George Bush out of the White House, and widespread worries about where the country is heading.

And an accompanying backgrounder piece:

Now Mr Kerry must fight his image as a vague, generic Democrat, too left-wing and wishy-washy, especially on Iraq—he first voted for, and then sharply criticised, the war, a position he has struggled to justify. His liberal voting record and northeastern home will hurt him in the South and Midwest, where there are many swing states (such as Ohio and Minnesota).