WASHINGTON, 29 January 2004 — Sen. John Kerry won a decisive victory in the New Hampshire presidential primary Tuesday night, easily defeating former front-runner Howard Dean.
Kerry’s back-to-back wins have made it clear that Iowa and New Hampshire voters believe he is the man most capable of defeating President George W. Bush in November, despite the fact the senator was dismissed as a loser only a month ago. (See related report on Page 5)
Gen. Wesley Clark finished behind Kerry and Dean but slightly ahead of Sen. John Edwards. Both Clark and Edwards had 12 percent of the vote compared to Kerry’s 39 percent and Dean’s 26 percent. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut came in fifth with nine percent.
The presidential contenders had little time to savor their success or lick their wounds as they focused on next Tuesday, when primaries will be held in both the South and West. It is here, observers say, the “electability” of Kerry seems more in question, and where recent polls show Edwards of North Carolina having a slight edge.
Kerry is from Massachusetts, and no northeastern Democrat has won the presidency since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Gen. Clark of Arkansas has a slight lead in Oklahoma and is within striking distance of Kerry in Arizona, polls show. The last candidate to enter the crowded race, Gen. Clark gained ground by emphasizing his military background and leadership experience.
Kerry, a decorated navy officer wounded in Vietnam, drew heavy support from the military, and called on his “band of brothers” — a group of veterans whom he relied on in Vietnam 30 years ago. “We’re a little older, a little grayer, but we still know how to fight for our country,” Kerry said Tuesday, claiming his victory in the New Hampshire primary. He has highlighted his war-hero history hoping it will help him in upcoming campaign tests.
It will be difficult for Republicans — or Kerry’s Democratic rivals — to counter the appeal of Kerry’s military past, and Kerry is likely to continue this theme heading into states like Missouri, which has a heavy military presence, and South Carolina, which is home to 400,000 veterans.
Kerry is also seeking to broaden support by the populist pitch of being willing to stand up to powerful special interests. “I have spent my whole life fighting against powerful interests — and I’ve only just begun to fight,” Kerry told supporters Tuesday night.
In New Hampshire, surveys of those casting ballots showed Kerry’s support was broad, roughly equal between women and men and among all age groups. Kerry got the strongest vote from those who described their views as moderate, not quite half the electorate.
