With the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination now in the decisive fall campaign season, the growing dominance of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is changing the dynamics of the race.

In a field characterized for months by evenly matched contenders - and no real stars - Dr. Dean is suddenly setting the pace, presenting his opponents with both a standard and a target.

Already, candidates such as Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry are stepping up their criticisms of Dean, even as they scramble to adopt some of his tactics.

The attacks are likely to take a more pointed tone beginning Thursday, when all nine candidates assemble in New Mexico for the first of six fall debates.

For rivals looking to topple the surging Dean, the debates may provide a singular opportunity - as one famously did for Vice President Walter Mondale in 1984 when he brought a halt to Sen. Gary Hart's surging campaign with his pointed line, "Where's the beef?"

Yet the candidates face significant risks in trying to bring Dean down - and most are likely to approach the task with caution. Not only can attacks easily tar the person launching them as much as their intended object, they could also inflame Dean's supporters.

Still, analysts say Dean's mounting strength may well force his rivals to confront him directly before he pulls too far ahead.

"Right now, Dean has the momentum, and it's not apparent that momentum can be broken unless he screws up - or unless his opponents raise or point to an issue that puts him on the defensive," says Stuart Rothenberg, a political analyst.

Most rival campaigns profess themselves unconcerned by Dean's apparent strength. Although polls show the former governor with widening leads in key primary states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, some argue much of this momentum can be attributed to Dean's early spate of TV advertising - a move other candidates are only now following. In national surveys, however, Dean still trails the better-known Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Rep. Richard Gephardt among registered Democrats.

And with more than four months to go before the first ballots are cast, many say there is still plenty of time for another candidate to emerge. Senator Kerry only made his candidacy official this week, for example, and Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina will make his announcement shortly. Indeed, according to polls, most voters still don't even know who's running.

"[Dean's] had a good launch," acknowledges David Axelrod, an adviser to Senator Edwards. "But the reality is, it doesn't mean much right now. Things are fluid."

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