ìInternationally, Taking Sides in the U.S. Presidential Race: In Europe, seeing ëa world election in which the world has no vote,í" by Patrick E. Tyler, New York Times, 4 September, p. A10.

ìBushís Second Term: Aiming for a transformation,î by David Brooks, NYT, 4 September, p. A27.

ìKerry Urges Voters to Look Past Bushís ëLast-Minute Promises,íî by David M. Halbfinger, NYT, 4 September, p. A1.

Already the Europeans are fretting over four more years of Bush, but they see it coming, primarily because ìhe comes over as a strong leader and John F. Kerry doesnít.î

I think David Brooks has it right: Bushís second term will be more transformational than the first. Already, heís rewritten what it means to be Republican, which used to mean small government but now means a very activist government and a very activist foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Kerryís latest pitch is to beg voters not to listen to Bushís promises. That sort of tack worries me a lot. Doesnít sound like a winnerís approach, now does it?