South will test Kerry's appeal

By Ian Pannell
BBC correspondent in Manchester, New Hampshire

Kerry faces still competition from southern candidates

John Kerry has scored an impressive victory in New Hampshire building on the momentum from Iowa caucuses win.

Just a month ago, the Senator from Massachusetts seemed to be heading for the political wilderness.

Although he had the right credentials to become the Democrat's choice to take on George Bush, his manner was stiff and his campaign message remote.

One political wag remarked that every time John Kerry spoke he sounded as if he had just landed on the Mayflower.

But his campaign team was overhauled, the message honed and he began to relax in public.

Voters in New Hampshire were motivated by issues like healthcare, Iraq and the economy.

As in Iowa they were also motivated by the need to find the best person to beat George W Bush.

Key region

Now the race heads into the south, a place that will test this north-eastern liberal's appeal in a region seen as key to the Democrats' ambitions.

No Democrat has ever won a presidential election without winning at least one southern state.

Edwards says he will pull out if he does not win in South Carolina

He will face stiff competition there from the two southerners in the race, General Wesley Clark, the former Nato commander, and Senator John Edwards who will be competing on home turf.

For weeks Howard Dean led in the polls here but, after Iowa, second place may not seem so bad.

His campaign will certainly try and paint this as something of a comeback victory.

The former governor from Vermont came a surprise third in Iowa and his now infamous "I have a scream" concession speech badly damaged his standing.

The real competition happened in the fight for third place.

Dubious strategy

John Edwards had hoped to build on the momentum from his surprise second place finish in Iowa, but this is a long way from his home state of North Carolina.

While coming second or third can keep a campaign running along, at some point candidates actually have to win a primary or caucus vote.

Clark is also pinning his hopes on wins in the south

The telegenic senator has said that he will pull out of the race if he does not win next week in South Carolina, the state where he was born.

Wesley Clark must also do well in the south.

Both he and Joe Lieberman, opted out of Iowa to concentrate on New Hampshire. The polls would suggest it was a dubious strategy.

Unless they both do exceedingly well next week, their presidential ambitions may be over.

The candidates only stopped for a moment to celebrate or to reassure their supporters.

They quickly move on to South Carolina, Missouri, Arizona and Oklahoma, among the seven states that will hold primaries on 3 February.