Kerry Gets a Lift Into New Hampshire;

Iowa Victory Elevates Crowds, Donations and Standing for Tuesday

BYLINE: Ceci Connolly, Washington Post Staff Writer

 SECTION: A Section; A01

DATELINE: NASHUA, N.H. Jan. 21

On his last swing through New Hampshire, John F. Kerry spoke to business executives for 42 minutes without once being interrupted by applause. He toured a technology company that was closed, and supporters asked in painfully direct language why he was trailing two neophytes.

Now Kerry is riding high, begging the media not to label him a front-runner, despite signs suggesting he may be just that. When he walked on stage at DanielWebsterCollege here on Wednesday, an overflow crowd cheered, and three dozen cameras flashed in a blinding instant. 

 "The last two weeks of this campaign have really been very different -- four hours of sleep a night, some all-nighters, a lot of cold pizza, an occasional warm beer, a lot of Hostess cupcakes," he said. "Folks, I feel like I'm back in exam week in college."

 Riding his upset victory in the Iowa caucuses back to familiar New England terrain, the Massachusetts senator is enjoying unusually large crowds, and officials say they have collected $500,000 in the past 36 hours. For two straight days, he has appeared twice on the ABC network, a feat he achieved only once before, when he declared his candidacy in September.

Two post-Iowa polls put him in the lead in New Hampshire with about one-third of the vote. In early January, polls showed Kerry at least 15 percentage points behind former Vermont governor Howard Dean.

 The challenge, say outside analysts and strategists inside the campaign, is to capitalize on the Iowa momentum and convert it quickly into an effort that stretches beyond two states. In addition to the fundraising push, the Kerry team has added staff in states holding Feb. 3 contests and is wooing supporters of Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), who dropped out of the race. "He got 25 Gephardt people yesterday and I think another 25 today," said Patricia Russell, former Keane mayor and a Kerry supporter. "Iowa was a big help here."

 Just as Kerry focused almost single-mindedly on Iowa for the 10 days leading up to the caucuses, he is now devoted to winning the primary here next Tuesday. Aides said it is unlikely he will leave New Hampshire until then and will continue his long days and marathon town hall sessions.

 In both states, Kerry built strong on-the-ground operations involving people with extensive experience. 

Kerry's campaign ads here follow the Iowa model, relying on prominent local leaders, such as former governor Jeanne Shaheen, and veterans, such as crewmate Del Sandusky, to make a personal appeal. 

And as he did in Iowa, Kerry keeps his focus on what he considers President Bush's failings, and he describes what he would do as president if elected. The first major speech he delivered after returning to New Hampshire was on health care, hitting on an issue that is often cited as the chief concern of voters. On Wednesday, Kerry talked about his fight against special interests in Washington. 

 Yet Kerry still has a habit of piling on in his speeches, adding a great deal of material to the text. His 27-minute speech Wednesday was brief, one consultant quipped.

 "He's uneven," said one New Hampshire strategist advising another campaign.

 "There is still this question of 'Is Kerry too aloof? Can he give good, passionate speeches?' "  Gerry Chervinsky said. "But last September he was horrible, and now he's not."

 Kerry's change in fortunes did not happen overnight; it just feels that way. Those closest to him and the senator himself have argued that the combination of a more focused electorate, staff shake-ups and a candidate who tends to perform best under pressure have all contributed. It also has not hurt that some of his opponents, notably Dean, have stumbled.

 "It's a combination of the Iowa results creating a greater sense of excitement around John Kerry, and as we get closer to the primary, people get a lot more serious about their choice," said Judy Reardon, Kerry's deputy national director and a veteran of New Hampshire campaigns. "A lot of times, things just happen. There's a part of campaigns that are mystical and out of your control."

 The rap on Kerry from early in his career was that he was a patrician who felt chummier with a camera than actual voters. Last month, Russell fretted publicly that Kerry was awkward in large crowds and not spending enough time in New Hampshire. "As of two weeks ago, I saw some real changes," she said, noting that he seems to be more at ease speaking to big audiences and is more passionate about his candidacy. "He's come a long way."

 Strategists have addressed part of the "connection" problem, as they put it, by putting Kerry in "Oprah"-style settings where he prowls the aisles with microphone in hand urging voters to grill him and check him out thoroughly.

 "I don't offer my résumé," he said here. "I offer my gut."

 In the past few days, Kerry has said obliquely that he "learned a great deal" campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire. One close aide said part of the lesson he learned was not taking his early front-runner status for granted.

 Chervinsky said Kerry, who has always enjoyed good favorable ratings, is well positioned to capitalize on the changing international situation and political landscape at home. "Dean was the antiwar candidate with the populist message, but Kerry and [Sen. John] Edwards refined the populist message, Saddam Hussein was captured and electability has become a big issue," said Chervinsky, who conducts a poll for the Boston Globe and WBZ television. "They want somebody who can beat Bush, and Kerry's the guy."

 It is hardly coincidence that Kerry has been pounding the theme that he would be the strongest Democrat against Bush, given his résumé. On that matchup, Kerry's numbers have climbed steadily to 32 percent, Chervinsky said, while those of Dean and retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark have fallen by several percentage points.