"I want you to know in November that we aregoing to win a great victory--against PatBuchanan," the candidate, sparking uproariousapplause.
Kerrey was also upbeat after returns showed himbeating Harkin and Brown, although his leadconsisted of little more than a thousand voteslate last night.
Kerrey also maintained that he would win thenomination. "We may not quite be golden yet, butbronze ain't bad," he said.
Speaking at the Wayfarer Inn in Bedford, Kerreylamented the national economy, and used it as aspringboard for pushing his priority issue,national health insurance.
"Unfortunately in America today, living hasbecome a hell," Kerrey said. "I want to be in acountry where the doctor says 'Where does ithurt?', not 'How are you going to pay?'"
Harkin, who led Kerrey in polls through most oflast week, downplayed his fourth-place finish,saying that he has been an underdog from thebeginning and claiming that his opponents hadadopted many of his campaign ideas.
"Maybe we didn't come in first tonight, but ourprogram did," Harkin told supporters at theGranite Street Bar and Grill.
Harkin, who gathered 78 percent of alldelegates in his home state Iowa's caucuses lastweek, swore he would not give up the fight.
"Do I look like someone who's going to tuck histail and run?" Harkin asked. "No way."
And Brown was also enthusiastic after attaininga percentage which exceeded any poll'sprojections. Brown heralded his strong showing asan expression of the will of the people withoutthe filter of the unsympathetic media.
He said that his toll-free campaign number hasreceived over 100,000 calls, and that hislarger-than-expected group of supporters showswhat can happen "when we have an election wherethe people can speak out."
WBZ radio yesterday reported that voter turnoutwas much higher than expected in New Hampshire. A47 percent turnout had been forecast but stateofficials said 60 percent or more may have gone tothe polls, nearing a record.