The CBS News poll released earlier today contains more bad news for John Kerry and the Democrats. The poll shows President Bush with a nine-point lead, up slightly from a week ago.

This is in line with a number of other recent surveys, but the really bad news for Kerry is buried in the fine print:

There is further evidence that John Kerry’s support may be softening. The percentage of his supporters who strongly favor him has dwindled in last week's poll and again in this one; now just four in ten Kerry voters say they strongly favor him. Almost six in ten either have reservations about him, or are voting against Bush.

KERRY’S SUPPORT
(Registered voters supporting Kerry)

Strongly favor
Now: 40%
Last week: 45%
7/2004: 54%

Everyone--most of all the Bush campaign--says that the race is going to tighten. But these numbers suggest that it has the potential to become a blowout. Maybe this is part of the reason:

Kerry is viewed as the candidate on the attack. Now, 54 percent of voters think Kerry has been spending more time attacking Bush, up from last week. 37 percent think he has been spending more time explaining what he would do as President.

The natural reaction when Kerry's handlers see him slipping in the polls it to urge him to attack more aggressively. But this may be exactly the wrong prescription for an electorate that has a realistic and practical interest in what Kerry proposes to do in the event he is elected.