What Should Gore Do?

When Al Gore's campaign was in trouble last fall, he shook up his staff, moved his headquarters to Nashville, and adopted a more casual look. At primary time, Gore crushed Bill Bradley.

Now Gore is in trouble again: he's behind George W. Bush by six points and the Republican's lead is growing. Democrats and pundits told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer on CBS News' Face The Nation what they think Gore should do to revitalize his campaign.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) thinks Gore should get across to the American people that Bush has a $2 trillion tax cut planned. "No one has explained where that can come from. Al Gore has a fiscally responsible, sensible approach," he said. Kerry, a potential running mate for Gore, also thinks the vice president will tell Americans that Bush has a poor record on the environment, on children's health and education.

Sen. Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat, suggests that Gore should inspire people more if he wants to attract Bradley supporters.

"The vice president should be out there on good jobs and good wages, on health care, on kids, on education, on Medicare for all, on Social Security. He can win on those kitchen table issues and living room issues because those are the issues that the vast majority of people care about," said Wellstone.

Louisiana Senator John Breaux, a centrist Democrat, said Gore should expand his base by appealing to independents. "The message has to be a centrist message. It worked for President Clinton. And I think it could work again."

And pollster John Zobgy said Bush has been using his "affability, which translates into a kind of positive character image, in contrast to Al Gore, who's projected kind of a negative image; a win-at-all-cost image."

Zobgy said Democrat Gore should be concerned about losing progressives or liberals, including disaffected Bradley supporters, who may vote for Ralph Nader.

Kerry pointed out global warming is resurging as an important issue, and anticipates Gore drawing the distinctions between himself and Bush on the environment.

He added time is on Gore's side.

"Jimmy Carter was ahead of Ronald Reagan (in 1980) and he lost," said Kerry. "Bill Clinton was running third (in 1992) and he won. You go back historically and Michael Dukakis was running way ahead (in 1988). He lost. I mean, it's amazingly early."