There are only two types of campaigns: positive and negative.
To be "positive," you have to have popular new ideas to tout to the public. Consider that President Bush has faith-based-charities, national missile defense, spreading Democracy, tax cuts, pro-life, letting citizens manage portions of their own Social Security retirement fund (i.e. privatizing SS), private scholarships for inner-city minority children, etc.
In contrast, the Democrats have...nothing. They can't run on a "prescription drugs for seniors" platform anymore, and being pro-abortion and against Vietnam are pretty passe.
This leaves them with only one direction: negative.
So they are *depending* upon some bad news, some scandal, some tragedy, etc.
Go over to DemocraticUnderground right now and you'll see them *BEGGING* for bad economic news, deaths of Americans abroad, etc. Time and again you will see the Democrats eagerly grasping at every possible scandal.
NEWSFLASH: that won't win an election (at least not nationally).
Oh, it might be popular in some trendy socialite circles in leftist enclaves and at NYC-style cocktail parties, but it won't "play" in flyover country.
And the lesson from back in 2000 was that Flyover Country was all that GWB needed to become President.
No doubt that lesson burns up the few Lefties intellectually savvy enough to grasp it.