The Bush campaign is shifting gears at time when some Republicans have grown worried about Mr. Bush's prospects and concerned that the hard-edged and expensive campaign he has waged over the past six months has inflicted less damage on the Democrats than many had hoped.
Mr. Bush's job-approval ratings, historically a reliable indicator of an incumbent's prospects for re-election, remain at less than 50 percent, a level that even some Republicans said put him in a danger zone. And the next few days could prove difficult for the president. On Thursday, the commission investigating Sept. 11 is to release its final report, criticizing government efforts to prevent the attacks, and Mr. Kerry is about to enjoy a week of extensive coverage of his nominating convention.
"He's in a heap of trouble," said Clyde Wilcox, a government professor at Georgetown University said of Mr. Bush. "I don't think the economy is really surging enough to put him back, and the public has a negative view about Iraq. He is a very spirited campaigner and he's got an amazing knack at connecting with the American people and persuading them that he's like them. But there are fewer and fewer people who remain to be persuaded."
Aides said, though, that the change did not mean Mr. Bush's television commercials would sharply change. His aides said they would add more positive spots to his commercial campaign - which has almost purely consisted of criticisms of Mr. Kerry - but not abandon those attacks that Republicans say are crucial to Mr. Bush's hopes.
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