His supporters hoped to profit from his victories.

"[Last night's wins] will reinvigorate the troops. Some people were feeling a little down...but this will help to bring focus back to the race," said Mattie J. Germer '03, the Harvard coordinator for McCain.

Exit polls showed Bush winning votes from people who cared most about abortion, moral values and taxes, while McCain won more from those concerned about international relations, campaign finance reform and federal entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

In Michigan, McCain stressed his plan to devote a majority of the projected federal budget surplus to shoring up the Social Security trust fund. This played well among the state's blue-collar workers, exit polls showed.

Votes Equal Cash

Now just two weeks from March 7's Super Tuesday primary, when delegates from large states like California, Ohio, New York and Massachusetts are at stake, McCain will not be able to rely on such narrowly tailored messages, his supporters said.

And since most of the Super Tuesday primaries are limited to party voters only--New Hampshire, Michigan and South Carolina were open to registered voters in all parties--McCain's supporters said they expect he will focus on promoting his conservative credentials.

With Bush's financial resources strained from his bruising loss in New Hampshire and television-heavy campaigning in South Carolina, McCain's campaign machinery plans to spend at least as much as Bush in the next two weeks.

"We're not going to be outspent 10 to 1[by Bush] like we have been, especially if he keeps spending like he has been," Germer said.

Bush, who spent more than $3 million in one week alone last month, has had to reinvigorate his own fundraising apparatus in order to keep pace.

A Look Ahead

The next 14 days will see 16 primaries and caucuses, and all the campaigns agree the race for the party nominations will likely be decided by the end of the Super Tuesday primaries on March 7.

Beginning today, the candidates will turn their attention to Washington State, which will hold its primary Feb. 29.

"It will be interesting to see what happens in Washington state," said Luke P. McLoughlin '00, the Harvard coordinator for Bradley. "A victory can give [Bradley] momentum into the March 7 primaries."

Democrats are already focused on the Northeast, where five New England states, including Massachusetts, will join New York on Super Tuesday.

"The Northeast should be pretty fertile ground for McCain," Zogby said.

His platform of campaign finance reform should appeal to the traditionally liberal Northeast voters, Zogby said.