When you have no platform to run on because everything you have touched has lessened instead of gained, you have to resort to smear campains. Attwater (sp.?) was a pro at this. If you can get the other guy to talk about anything but you and defend himself on a non-platform issue, you look better in that people are not focued on your adminsitration's failures
Sad - but true - and I hope it backfires on W!!!