Kerry piles on the pressure

MANCHESTER - John Kerry took command of the Democratic presidential race with a big win over Howard Dean in the New Hampshire primary yesterday, cementing his grip on the front-runner's role and dealing another setback to Dean's reeling campaign.

Kerry, the Massachusetts senator whose win in the Iowa caucuses last week turned the 2004 presidential race upside down, scored his second consecutive victory in the race to pick a Democratic challenger to President George W. Bush.

"I have only just begun to fight," Kerry told cheering supporters in Manchester, urging them to "stand with us" on a drive to evict Bush from the White House.

In nearly complete returns, Kerry led Dean 39 per cent to 26 per cent, giving him momentum for next week's crucial round of seven Democratic state contests.

In a battle for third-place bragging rights ahead of next week, retired General Wesley Clark narrowly led North Carolina Senator John Edwards, 13 per cent to 12 per cent, with Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman at 9 per cent.

The loss was the latest in a series of setbacks for Dean, whose campaign has stalled on a dismal third-place showing in Iowa, a widely ridiculed concession speech and growing voter doubts about his ability to beat Bush in November.

But Dean, who cancelled television ads in other states to focus his resources on New Hampshire, called the finish "a solid second".

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, looked to be going nowhere a month ago. But he has stressed his war and foreign policy experience and been pushing the message that he can match Bush on traditional Republican issues like security.

Exit polls found that experience and electability were the key qualities for voters who backed Kerry, who won almost all demographic groups - whites and blacks, men and women, union and nonunion households, affluent and working class, all religions and veterans.

"We're a little older and a little grayer," Kerry said of the "veterans' brigade" he has formed to support his bid. "But we still know how to fight for our country."

The win confirmed Kerry as the Democratic front-runner, a title he has resisted since Iowa and one that will likely make him the target of fresh attacks from his rivals and Bush's Republican supporters.

About 200,000 voters, a new Democratic primary record, turned out in New Hampshire, the tiny state famous for surprise finishes and a fondness for political underdogs.

Edwards, Clark and Lieberman all hoped a strong showing in New Hampshire would propel them on to breakthrough wins in later contests. Despite his fifth-place finish, Lieberman called it "a three-way split decision for third".

Edwards, who scored a strong second-place in Iowa, said it gave him a boost heading into next week's must-win contest in South Carolina, where he was born.

He noted Clark skipped Iowa to concentrate on New Hampshire "so if I'm ahead of him at all or we're in the same ballpark, that's a great victory for me."

Clark, who has been criticised for his past votes for Republicans, told supporters "when we take on George Bush this fall, we want everyone to join us, no matter where you're from, what your background is or what your party registration might say."

Kerry will head to Missouri today, the biggest prize next week with 74 pledged delegates. Dean will return to his home in Burlington, Vermont, for a day before heading to South Carolina tomorrow to campaign and participate in a debate.

Bush also was on the ballot in New Hampshire in a Republican primary in which he faced no major opposition.

- REUTERS