ROVIDENCE - When Bill Bradley was praised at a rally here yesterday by a supporter with a booming voice, he quipped, ''If only I had your voice, I'd be on the move.''
Though the remark referred to Bradley's less-than-riveting oratory, it also reflected the sense of serenity that has come over his presidential campaign as he plays out what could be the final act of his candidacy.
In this latest stage of the emotion-packed Democratic primary, Bradley and his opponent, Al Gore, seem to be nearing an acceptance that the vice president will sew up the nomination.
Bradley has toned down his previous biting attacks on Gore's honesty and integrity. In fact, he has stopped mentioning his rival, period. And the steely resolve he had maintained for months continues to evolve into a gentler spirit.
Bradley's aides privately acknowledge that a sense of peace, if not resignation, has arisen in the campaign since the bruising defeat in Washington state that robbed the former New Jersey senator of a last chance to build momentum for Tuesday's 16 crucial primaries.
Gore has also abandoned his attacks on Bradley. As he stumped in Jacksonville, Fla., and Atlanta yesterday, he saved his criticism for his potential general election foes, Texas Governor George W. Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain. This morning, Gore is to speak at Faneuil Hall.
So confident is Gore that he has spent much of the last two days speaking to people who can't vote: elementary and high school children. Local reporters have been asking Gore about potential running mates.
Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile said Gore could win enough delegates for the nomination by March 14, even if Bradley chooses to stay in the race.
In the Bradley camp, spokesman Eric Hauser said the mood should not be mistaken for a lack of passion. ''He's where he has always been, which is comfortable with his convictions,'' Hauser said.
Both Bradley and Gore insist the contest is not over. Gore has intoned the refrain that he is ''not taking a single vote for granted,'' while Bradley vowed yesterday to battle to the last minute for his agenda. Both men have ambitious campaign schedules through Tuesday.
In one of the great anticlimaxes of the campaign, Bradley yesterday delivered a major address outlining his position on foreign policy. Bradley warned, as President John F. Kennedy once did, that the United States should not be ''a volunteer fire department'' for the world.
In campaign stops yesterday in Providence and in Portland, Maine, Bradley urged voters to ignore the message of impending doom for his campaign. Surveys show him trailing Gore in every state that votes Tuesday.
