Sen. John McCain has jolted the race for the Republican presidential nomination. His landslide win in the New Hampshire primary this week stunned the front-runner, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, and reinvigorated the campaign. New Hampshire is not representative of U.S. politics, but the results there foreshadow some of the twists that lie ahead on the campaign trail.
Mr. McCain gambled on New Hampshire. He skipped last month's Iowa caucuses to focus on a state that is known for its independence. His strategy paid off, rewarding the maverick senator with a resounding 18-percentage-point (49-31) defeat of Mr. Bush. A loss would have killed his campaign.
The senator's success was the product of two factors: relentless campaigning and a lackluster, unfocused performance by Mr. Bush. Mr. McCain will not be able to repeat the first one. He could concentrate on New Hampshire because there was no competition for his time. As the primary season heats up, he will be forced to spread himself thinner. He will also need a bigger organization to manage his campaign and help get out his message. Here, Mr. Bush has the advantage. His $70 million war chest has financed the building of a formidable political machine. But that is of little help if the candidate cannot give voters a reason to support him -- which is what happened in New Hampshire.