EDITORIAL DNC, DAY 2.

Tonight's theme: 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' - you can say that again.EXIT Bill. Enter Al.

In a speech that cast blame for past failures and seized credit for current prosperity, President Clinton capped off an evening of triumphant celebration Monday at the first night of the Democratic Convention.

Clinton charmed delegates, just as he has charmed the public for the better part of a decade. His indomitable charisma has been an overwhelming political asset.

But, as Al Gore has learned, Clinton's charm is not easily duplicated - it's a natural gift, and one that Gore lacks. To perpetuate the Democrats' political success, the vice president is going to have to replace Clinton's style with his own substance. He will need strong ideas to make up for a less persuasive personality.

Appropriately, tonight's convention theme is ``New Heights: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.''

There's something refreshingly candid about that slogan. For eight years, in terms of leadership on key issues, the public ain't seen nothing, indeed.

When Clinton took the White House in 1992, he adopted an air of unfounded invincibility, drafting an overhaul of the nation's health-care system without consulting opponents or the public.

Even congressional Democrats balked at the power play, shooting the plan down and giving Clinton his worst legislative defeat. In 1994, the party paid the price for Clinton's arrogance, losing its congressional majority to the Newt Gingrich-led Republican right.

The administration responded to the health care fiasco with a new, low- risk approach to governing. Gone were the efforts to tackle major issues aggressively. Instead, the White House reverted to leadership by poll, carefully avoiding issues that could offend any of its key constituencies, such as the teachers unions, trial lawyers or special-interest groups.

The result was a triumph of politics over policy that has America's health care languishing and other critical issues gridlocked. Facing the mass exodus of baby boomers from the work force in a mere 13 years, Social Security is heading toward bankruptcy. American schools still suffer, even though their price tag continues to climb.

These three failures have long cried out for leadership - not the heavy- handed kind Clinton tried with national health care - but consensus- building practical solutions.

So far, we ain't seen nothing - from the White House or from Congress.

Now Gore has a chance to change all that - and step out of Clinton's shadow - by unveiling a meaningful plan for reform.

Campaign aides promise that Gore's Thursday-night speech will include numerous policy specifics. His VP choice of Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who has been open to considering school vouchers and revamping Social Security, is another good sign.

The latest polls show Gore shrinking Bush's lead, which confirms that this will likely be a close campaign all the way to Election Day. For both candidates, a serious plan to solve the nation's problems by balancing the interests of all segments of the population is the key to victory.

We ain't seen nothing yet, but we're ready to start looking.