He said that the White House had not asked the committee or Republican political consultants to help do a selling job.

I asked Mike Johnson, a Republican political consultant, about that word, sincerity.

Republican consultants said he would be vunerable to attack as unethical, soft on crime and likely to raise taxes.

Whatever she does want, Elizabeth Dole will surely have a line of Republican political consultants at her door when this election is over.

Charles Black, a Republican political consultant who was an early Reagan campaign worker, said conversion took place on both sides.

Douglas Bailey, a Republican political consultant, was more blunt about the political danger.

But John Morgan, a Republican political consultant, said he did not think his party needed to worry on this score.

Jeffrey L. Bell (born ca. 1943) is an author and Republican political consultant.

Virtually all Republican political consultants and most Democratic ones still believe the negative ad is in ascendancy.

"This is a very different convention," said Frank Luntz, a Republican political consultant.

Other Republican consultants in Texas often found themselves in conflict with Rove.

Ed Rollins, the Republican political consultant, has seen better days.

Now, agreed Mr. Rogers, the Republican consultant, "he can get back to work."

But Lyn Nofziger, the Republican consultant, said a candidate's time and money could be better spent.

Other Republican consultants dispute the point.

Ed Rollins, the Republican consultant, says that politicians are just as dependent on what he calls the "Q" factor, or popularity of television personalities.

Mr. Phillips, the Republican consultant, believes other guages would better capture the current anxieties of most voters.

"He would certainly come out of the gate in a hurry," said Mr. Black, the Republican consultant.

"This isn't going to go away," Mr. Black, the Republican consultant, said.

Another Republican consultant, Tom Cole, said: "I think there is a risk.