Gore and Bush, victorious in Iowa caucuses, prepare for tough New Hampshire contestsPoliticians, staffs vacate Iowa for the Granite State
January 25, 2000
Web posted at: 1:41 a.m. EST (0641 GMT)
DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) -- With victories in the Iowa caucuses behind them, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush shifted their focus early Tuesday to New Hampshire to kick off a week of intense campaigning that will culminate in the first-in-the-nation primary there February 1.
With 98 percent of Democratic precincts in Iowa reporting late Monday, Gore was ahead with 64 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Bradley.
Nearly complete official returns placed Bush well ahead of his five fellow Republican hopefuls.
Millionaire publisher Steve Forbes finished second in the GOP field, while conservative talk show host and former ambassador Alan Keyes was in the coveted third spot amongst Republicans.
With 96 percent of the Republican precincts reporting, Bush had a vote tally of 41 percent, Forbes 30 percent, and Keyes 14 percent.
"It's a little better than I anticipated," Bush said on CNN's "Larry King Live."
| |
Gov. George W. Bush
| |
|---|
"I am thrilled with this record-shattering victory," Bush said to supporters at a post-caucus hotel celebration. "I am grateful and I am humbled. It is a victory of message and organization."
Bush told his Iowa faithful, "Seven months ago, I came to Iowa on a plane dubbed 'Great Expectations.' Tonight, Iowa has exceeded them."
Bush was scheduled to leave Des Moines for Manchester, New Hampshire, late Monday night. "I'm on a plane tonight," he told CNN.
Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has eschewed campaigning in Iowa to concentrate on the New Hampshire primary, was in fifth place with 5 percent of the vote, behind fourth-place conservative activist Gary Bauer, who had 9 percent. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch trailed in last place with just 1 percent of the vote.
GOP candidates react
Asked by CNN's Larry King to comment on his estimated results, McCain, speaking from New Hampshire, quipped, "That's 5 percent more than I thought I was going to get."
"We're looking forward to the playoffs that are going to begin tomorrow," McCain said of next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. "I'm sure the folks in New Hampshire aren't going to be affected much by the Iowa caucuses."
A jubilant Forbes addressed well wishers Monday night after learning of his second-place finish, saying the evening was "great," and he was ready for the challenges ahead.
| |
Steve Forbes
| |
|---|
After introducing three of his five daughters to the crowd, Forbes described himself as a successful father who had shepherded four of those daughters through their crucial teen-age years.
"Anyone who can guide young women through the treacherous, dangerous teen-age and adolescent years is ready for the adolescent politicians in Washington," Forbes said.
"I couldn't be happier and more excited," Forbes told CNN later in the evening. "It demonstrates that ideas matter."
Speaking of his third-place finish, Keyes told CNN, "I think it will indicate that there are a lot of people in Iowa and around the country who will believe in the message of moral principles."
CNN learned late Monday night that Hatch planned to hold a news conference in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the future of his presidential campaign plans after his disappointing finish.
Hatch aides would not disclose the senator's plans. In a brief statement released Monday night, Hatch thanked those in Iowa who supported his campaign.
Hatch had been rumored to be considering leaving the race if he did not place in the Republicans' top four.
Democratic results
Gore was "extremely encouraged" by entrance polling showing him with a 2-1 advantage over Bradley, and was preparing to focus more and more on the economy as the campaign shifts to New Hampshire, senior campaigns aides told CNN on Monday night.
Gore and his wife, Tipper, watched television coverage of the projections, and a cheer broke out in their hotel suite as CNN projected Gore a winner, the aides said. Gore then made two key telephone calls, one to New Hampshire's Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and a second to President Bill Clinton, who congratulated the vice president, and advised him to focus on the economy when campaigning in New Hampshire through the rest of the week.
| |
Vice President Al Gore
| |
|---|
Speaking at an energetic post-caucus rally, Gore thanked his supporters for "the biggest victory in the history of the contested caucuses here in Iowa."
"We've just begun to fight," Gore said. "This evening, at midnight, we'll take off for New Hampshire. We'll arrive at 3:30 in the morning, and at the crack of dawn, I'm going to hit the ground running and campaigning hard in the state of New Hampshire."
An upbeat Bradley congratulated Gore for his victory, and said though he was bloodied by Gore in the caucuses, he was unbowed.
"I've always said that running for president requires a mixture of humility and confidence," Bradley said. "Humility because the job is such an awesome undertaking, and confidence because you must know that you are up to it.
"Tonight, I have a little more humility, but no less confidence that I can win and do the job," he said.
A dismal turnout
Despite the weeks of hype leading up to the Iowa caucuses -- the true kickoff of the presidential election season -- most of Iowa's eligible voters chose to skip the opportunity to vote.
CNN estimated that only 8.3 percent of the state's voting age population actually turned up at caucus voting places, with 3.5 percent of these attending Democratic gatherings, and 4.8 percent turning out for the Republicans.
The last time Democratic hopefuls slugged through a contested primary in 1988, 5.9 percent came out to vote for the five-candidate field. In 1996, 4.6 percent of the voting age population participated in the Republican caucuses.
CNN's John King, Amy Paulson and The Associated Press contributed to this report, which was written by Ian Christopher McCaleb.
|
Governor George W. Bush makes his victory speech in the Iowa Caucuses.
Former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley speaks in Iowa after his loss to Vice President Al Gore in the Iowa caucuses.
Vice President Al Gore beat former New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley in Monday night's Iowa Democratic caucuses by a wide margin.
Millionaire publisher Steve Forbes gives victory speech after winning second place in the Hawkeye State's GOP caucuses.
