WASHINGTON - President Clinton said Saturday he could ''sway some undecided voters'' on Al Gore's behalf, even as vice presidential advisers say they don't want him to try.

''I'll do whatever I think is best in consultation with the campaign,'' the president said when a White House news conference turned to reports that Gore doesn't want Clinton in battleground states.

Locked in a tight race against Republican George W. Bush, the vice president doesn't want to be overshadowed by his charismatic boss whose impeachment left many swing voters particularly women cool to the Democratic ticket.

The arms-length approach has surprised and hurt Clinton, confidants say, driving a wedge between the two men.

White House advisers say Clinton has instructed his staff to give the Gore campaign virtual veto authority over his campaign travel schedule. The Gore team has limited the president to mobilizing the Democratic base in states that are not competitive, a move that has angered Democrats who want Clinton to boost the fortunes of congressional candidates and the presidential ticket in battleground states.

Clinton played down the disagreement.

''Very few third parties can change your mind. That's' not what's at issue here,'' Clinton told reporters. ''The most important actors in this drama are Al Gore and Governor Bush. They're the only actors in the drama who really have any sway.''

Yet the president added: ''The rest of us might be able to sway some undecided voters if our arguments are heard.''

He suggested that a sitting president has a bully pulpit that can be used to carry the Democratic message on Gore's behalf.

Gore campaign chairman Bill Daley and several other Gore aides met Friday with Clinton aides to discuss the campaign.

Vice presidential advisers say they have tentatively approved Clinton trips to California, Louisiana, Kentucky and Arkansas but the schedule hasn't been finalized. White House aides confirmed that those states are under consideration, and insisted that they're following the Gore team's lead.

Gore does not consider Louisiana or Kentucky competitive in the presidential race. Clinton is popular in California, which appeared to be solidly in Gore's column when the trip was approved last week; Bush has since narrowed the gap. Arkansas is Clinton's his home state.

Gore does not want Clinton in presidential battleground states, advisers said. A White House adviser said it's still possible Clinton will visit one or two.

A trip to Michigan, where a Democratic candidate wanted Clinton's help, was rejected by the Gore campaign last week.

Asked about a Michigan trip, Clinton said, ''We haven't decided every place I'm going and I may still go to Michigan. If they want me to come and the campaign thinks it will be helpful, I'll go.''

A senior Gore strategist said a Michigan trip would not be helpful. While Clinton could rally minority voters in Detroit, his presence would alienate swing voters in the suburbs.

One of his generation's most talented politicians, Clinton is said to be chomping at the bit to help Democrats reclaim the House and give Gore a much-needed boost.

''There are only two things a president not running (for re-election) can do. You can tell people what you think the condition of the country is and what the stakes are,'' Clinton said. ''And you can try to rally the people who are already with you in hopes of getting a better turnout.''

Gore wants him to focus exclusively on turnout. He has visited with black leaders and recorded telephone calls to black voters. ''Thank you for the last eight years,'' he says in the calls. ''Let's do it one more time. We've come too far to turn back now.''

Senior Gore officials say they know that if Gore loses by a narrow margin, they will forever be second-guessed by Democrats who think Clinton could have made the difference in swing states.