European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 20, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 3new Hampshire primary comedian gets last laugh on gop hopeful Burbank Calif. Apr comedian Jay Leno dubbed presidential candidate Patrick Buchanan a the Joe Biden of the Republican party a accusing the conservative commentator turned politician of stealing his joke. Leno lampooned Buchanan on tuesday during his monologue on the tonight show. Meanwhile in new Hampshire Buchanan celebrated his powerful second place showing against president Bush in the Republican primary. Quoting from the feb. 24 edition of Newsweek Leno read the following joke which the Magazine attributed to Buchanan a i Admire Ted Kennedy. How Many 59-year-Olds do you know who still go to Florida for Spring break a a that joke is vaguely familiar to me because its in my act a Leno said As the audience roared. A a he a become the Joe Biden of the Republican  democratic sen. Joseph r. Biden or. Of Delaware withdrew from the 1988 presidential race amid allegations of plagiarism. On the tonight show last april Leno told the joke this Way a Teddy Kennedy is something. How Many 59-year-old men do you know who still go to Florida for Spring break a Buchanan Campaign spokesman Vaughan Ververs said a i Haven to heard anything about it. It could be one of those jokes that gets  each candidate furnishes self serving twist to results by Karen Ball the associated press Washington a the spin artists were out in full Force on election night and you had to love their ability to make Lemons into lemonade. Bob Kerrey he polled just 12 percent. But it was third place just the same and his Campaign manager said it gives him momentum to take the West. Jerry Brown fifth in a Field of five. Still it was a close fifth he noted putting him right up there with Kerrey Ana Tom Harkin in the so called second tier. But for imaginative unforgettable upside Down spin John Sununu did it Best. The presidents confidant and former chief of Sununu staff allowed As How the voters had delivered a message. A message for the democratic Congress that is. Sununu also said Pat Buchanan was ideologically out of step with the gop. Too Liberal he explained. A if there is this much concern about the Economy up Here i Hope the Congress hears it a Sununu said front the Bush Quayle Headquarters As it became apparent that Buchanan was on his Way to polling enough votes i to Embarrass the president. So if new Hampshire voters liked Buchanan a conservative message so much  Bush move to the right a Pat Buchanan ran As a Liberal Here a Sununu said. A people Are going to discover this was t a conservative want pain by Buchanan. It was a rather Liberal one. I think he is going to find that running in states without the Manchester Union Leader a conservative newspaper is a lot  the Buchanan Camp understandably had a different Bead on the situation. A this is a Victory a Angela Bay Buchanan the candidates sister and National chairman said of getting beat by 18 percentage Points. A protest votes done to run this High. We re going against a president in his own party in the state that put him in  Bill Clinton claimed Victory too saying his Strong Sec fat lace finish behind Paul Tsongas gives his Campaign Ife following All the a a garbage allegations of womanizing and draft dodging piled on him in recent weeks. At least according to the spin wizards third place or lower Isnit such a bad place to be. A a we re leaving new Hampshire with momentum Quot said Tad Devine Bob Kerrey a Campaign manager. A a we be accomplished something Here today by establishing him As a candidate who could get in the  Brown said the Mere fact that he was in the thick of it was plenty to be pleased about since his candidacy was never taken seriously. Harkin cheerily talking to Campaign supporters yelled out to one of them Quot that a right. It ainu to Over til its  Ond new Economy paid off for Buchanan poll finds by the los Angeles times Manchester . Economic distress powered Patrick j. Buchanan a dramatic showing against president Bush in tuesdays new Hampshire primary according to a los Angeles times exit poll. But the poll found that the vote May have been More a rejection of Bush than an endorsement of Buchanan a forty six percent of Buchanan voters said they supported him because they liked his policies. A forty two percent backed him a to Send a protest  a twelve percent viewed him As a the Best of a bad  the poll interviewed 6,000 democratic and Republican primary voters As they left 60 representative polling places across the state. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage Points. In the democratic race the poll found that the decision pivoted on voters assessments of the candidates character and experience with former Massachusetts sen. Paul Tsongas and Arkansas gov. Bill Clinton the top finishers drawing support in patterns that illuminated their weaknesses As clearly As their strengths. Reflecting concerns about allegations surrounding Clinton a personal life Tsongas ran up overwhelming margins Over the Arkansas governor among the voters who cited a a ethics and a a Trust As key factors in their decisions. But he trailed Clinton by substantial margins among voters who placed great weight on a a leadership anti  at the same time the poll found Sharp class distinctions in the democratic results that could presage a fundamental Divide in the coming primaries Tsongas ran Best among upper income and Well educated voters. Clinton attracted More Blue Collar support. Gov. Bill Clinton hugs his wife Hillary after he finished second in new Hampshire. Tsongas amassed margins of 15 Points or greater among College graduates and those who attended graduate schools. He led Clinton by 2-1 among White Collar voters and he ran up a 20 Point margin among voters earning above $60,000 annually. Almost two thirds of Tsongas voters had a College degree or graduate school education a far More than the Overall electorate likewise nearly 3-in-5 of Tsongas voters earned at least $40,000. But Tsongas trailed Clinton a whose Campaign themes resonate with cultural and economic populism a among Blue Collar workers voters with a High school education or less and families earning less than $20,000 annually. Bush a problems had less to do with personal characteristics than a sense that he had failed to respond to enormous economic distress. Voters who cited experience ethics leadership and Trust As major factors in their decision All preferred Bush often by overwhelming margins. But Buchanan led Bush among voters looking for a candidate who a cares about people like me or a stands up for his convictions a a and he humbled the president among the substantial portion of Republican voters unhappy with the nation s direction. The fundamental Divide in the Republican race was Between voters who believe the country is moving in the right direction and those who fear it is heading Down the wrong track. Among those who believe the country a Basic direction is sound a about 30 percent of the Republican electorate a Bush trounced Buchanan by a margin of More than 11-1. But the 70 percent of republicans who believe the nation is moving in the wrong direction preferred Buchanan by a margin of about 20 Points. Likewise Bush Defeated Buchanan by More than 2-1 among the one sixth of Republican voters who say their personal finances have improved Over the past four years. But the challenger took three fifths of those voters who say they Are worse off than four years ago a fully 40 percent of the electorate. Bush won a Large margin among voters who consider their economic condition unchanged since 1988. The other democrats could not find More than a Niche in the race. A Iowa sen. Tom Harkin who had staked his Hope on Union members and Blue Collar voters ran behind Tsongas and Clinton with both groups. A former California gov. Jerry Brown showed strength among voters younger than 24, but his support fell off substantially among older voters. Brown also ran Well among the one sixth of democratic voters concerned about the environment though Tsongas won that group a despite criticism of his support for nuclear Power. A Nebraska sen. Bob Kerrey did not manage a major showing with any significant demographic group. Only among the one third of the electorate that cited health care As a principal concern did he come close to Clinton or Tsongas. Only ii percent of democratic i  voters said that a questions about Clinton a past were a major Factor m their decision. Forty percent of thu we voters backed Tsongas 18 percent of them still voted for Clinton. Overall eight in 10 democrats said they voted for their candidate because they liked him and his policies. Among republicans the figure was six in 10