A survey conducted in eight states by Public Campaign last September showed that a plurality of voters believed that "major" change was needed in the campaign finance system.

In New Hampshire, 53 percent of voters agreed with the need for major change and 26 percent believed minor change was necessary.

McCain's background may also help him to capitalize on the issue of campaign finance reform.

In the Senate, McCain was one of few Republicans to support reform legislation. Last February, the McCain-Feingold campaign reform bill failed after supporters fell nine votes short of the 60 votes need to end a Republican-led filibuster.

Last September, after the House passed a similar piece of campaign finance reform legislation, the Shays-Meehan bill, McCain, along with Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) tried again to pass their legislation. For a second time, the bill failed, by a vote of 52-48, 8 votes short of breaking the filibuster led by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

"Republicans were very quick to jump on the [Clinton] administration [for alleged fundraising violations]," Spaulding said. "But when it came time to put up or shut up, the Washington Republican establishment was hesitant to take action."

In spite of opposition to campaign finance from many leading Republicans politicians, the Public Campaign poll showed that 75 percent of the voters in New Hampshire supported the McCain-Feingold legislation and opposition to the bill among voters in states surveyed did not rise above 20 percent.

McCain will still face an uphill battle making campaign finance reform a winning issue in the primaries.

But the Senator, who was held as a prisoner of war for five-and-a-half years during the Vietnam War, seems ready for the challenge.

"I've been told there is no room for this issue in Republican primaries. Well, I intend to make room for it," he said.

But some campaign finance reform supporters say that ultimately, it will take more extensive legislation than the likes of the McCain-Feingold bill to make a substantial difference in the way elections are run.

"It's a major mistake to believe that if you close the soft money loophole you solve the problems of campaign finance reform," Schmeltzer said. "A far reaching comprehensive reform that attacks all of the problems with our current system is needed."