AS THE exhausting travelling and speech making for the presidential candidates draws to a close, there are signs that the strain is affecting the campaign of the 73 year old Republican challenger, Mr Bob Dole.
Reporters following his California campaign this week have noted Mr Dole's increasing resort to Washington insider jokes and quirky asides which puzzle audiences. Against the advice of aides he cancelled an important speech on immigration policy which is a hot issue in California to rush back to Washington where, it was explained, he wants to sleep in his own bed before the final push".
Unlike the Clinton campaign, which has been planned with military precision up to election day, the Dole itinerary is subject to last minute switches as the polls continue to show him fighting to retain usually Republican strongholds like Texas and Florida.
Addressing students about the Clinton administration proposed tax cuts for second level courses, Mr Dole said: "They look you in the eye and say we're going to give you targeted tax cuts if you keep your room clean and eat your vegetables. And if you eat your vegetables, you could live as long as Senator Thurmond who is going to be elected without any problems."
Mr Strom Thurmond is 93 and running for another six year term.
President Clinton was strongly heckled by a group of Dole supporters at Ohio State University as he gave his now familiar speech on his education goals. He riposted that he would be "screaming too" if the Dole policies on educational cutbacks were implemented.
The White House press corps is complaining that it is getting virtually no opportunity to question the president as he campaigns about the much criticised Democratic Party fund raising methods.
His aides have indicated that he will make a speech soon devoted to the need to reform campaign finance.
The White House ordered the Democratic National Committee to disclose contributions for October following the committee's controversial decision to wait until after the election. The Republicans had threatened to seek a court order freezing Democratic funds until the disclosure required by law was made.
The White House spokesman, Mr Mike McCurry, admitted that there were problems with the DNC and "we have to clean that up".
A Washington Post editorial has grudgingly endorsed Mr Clinton for a second term in the White House, saying that "his shortcomings are more evident and in escapable than they were four years ago" when the paper, "enthusiastically supported him".
Praising his stance on free trade, gun control and the environment, the editorial says that "on too many fundamental issues above all by the standards of steadfastness his administration has been disappointing and deficient and sometimes tawdry".
The influential New York Times has also endorsed Mr Clinton, but of 177 newspapers country wide that had endorsed candidates up to this week, 111 choose Mr Dole and 65 were for Mr Clinton.