I understand that people are conflicted and clearly see this as a vote of conscience, but from a purely political point of view, the Democrat activist base has long been concerned that our party is too accommodating with Bush.

Kerry had an opportunity in the debates to show the American people his strength and conviction and to lay out his plans, and people have responded very positively to that. So we see trends nationally moving in our direction and trends in battleground states moving towards us as well.

This is an issue that should be raised often because it is a central preoccupation of very large numbers of Americans and because people now look at the Republican program, the Bush program, as being a disaster.

[For both, it's a way to woo a public increasingly skeptical of sweeping pronouncements or simple solutions.] We are in an era when specificity is a sign of credibility, ... Do the numbers add up? Do the proposals work? There have to be enough details to satisfy [critics] that it's real and it's sensible.

It is different when you face a foreign enemy on the one hand versus a domestic failure on the other.

There is a clear view that families that are here, that are working, paying taxes and contributing to society ought to be able to get regularized status. On the other hand, there is a view about not rewarding illegal behavior.