Here is Michael Barone’s short take on the Democrat’s real problem: Kerry’s change of positions.
Matthew Scully thinks that Clinton’s example (not his operatives) is what Kerry should use to re-group. "Bill Clinton - to offer a few comforting words for the patient - never gave the impression that the presidency was his by right. He never displayed that air of entitlement you sense sometimes in Kerry supporters - so full of loathing for Mr. Bush, and so surprised and indignant when others don’t share it." Even
Dan Balz admits that Kerry has a problem; Kerry has "a smaller battlefield upon which to contest the presidential election and a potentially more difficult route to an electoral college victory than his advisers envisioned a few months ago." He outlines Kerry’s problem; the numbers of battleground states have shrunk for him (that’s why they have pulled ads from Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, and Arizona.

By the way, in case there was ever any question on whether Edwards would help his cause in North Carolina, Bush is leading, 55-42%. Note that in this rare interview,
Kerry questions Bush’s bounce.