Presidential Elections 1992 Maryland

President Bush defeated conservative television commentator Patrick J. Buchanan in the Georgia, Maryland and Colorado Republican primaries Tuesday, but a large Buchanan vote and the anti-Bush attitude of many of his supporters underscored a split in the GOP that threatens to weaken Bush in the general election. In the Georgia primary, hotly contested by both candidates, Buchanan's final vote was very close to the 37% he polled against Bush in the New Hampshire primary.

LABOR VOTE: Results from the Maryland primary last week may offer clues to the Democratic presidential contests coming up in some Northern states. Maryland was the first state with a significant number of union members to have its primary; after the Super Tuesday contests in the lightly unionized South, the race will shift to heavily unionized states such as Michigan and Illinois (March 17), New York (April 7) and Pennsylvania (April 28). . . .

Spin is everything on a day like this, and Paul E. Tsongas had his all ready to go when he strolled into Logan Airport early Tuesday afternoon in casual slacks and blue work shirt. "I'm the breakthrough kid tonight," the former Massachusetts senator predicted to a clump of reporters. The words were a play on Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton's claim two weeks ago that when he finished second to Tsongas in the New Hampshire primary, he was "the comeback kid."

President Bush defeated conservative television commentator Patrick J. Buchanan in the Georgia, Maryland and Colorado Republican primaries Tuesday, but a large Buchanan vote and the anti-Bush attitude of many of his supporters underscored a split in the GOP that threatens to weaken Bush in the general election. In the Georgia primary, hotly contested by both candidates, Buchanan's final vote was very close to the 37% he polled against Bush in the New Hampshire primary.

LABOR VOTE: Results from the Maryland primary last week may offer clues to the Democratic presidential contests coming up in some Northern states. Maryland was the first state with a significant number of union members to have its primary; after the Super Tuesday contests in the lightly unionized South, the race will shift to heavily unionized states such as Michigan and Illinois (March 17), New York (April 7) and Pennsylvania (April 28). . . .

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton revived his presidential hopes in Georgia by combining overwhelming support among blacks with the blue-collar, downscale base he built in the first primaries, a Los Angeles Times exit poll found Tuesday. On the Republican side, conservative commentator Patrick J. Buchanan's most potent weapon against President Bush continues to be discontent with the nation's basic direction, not ideological dissatisfaction, the poll found.

Democratic primary voters handed their presidential candidates another mixed message Tuesday, as Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas each won badly needed victories while former California Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. scored a surprising win in Colorado. With 96% of the vote counted in a Colorado race that was close all night, Brown had 30%, Clinton 28% and Tsongas 26%. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey had 13% and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin 3%.

After slugging it out for much of a Sunday debate doubleheader, four Democratic presidential contenders declared an informal truce and agreed that however sharp their differences, they still prefer each other to President Bush. Former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas, who bore the brunt of his colleagues' attacks in a bitter debate Saturday in Denver and during the confrontations Sunday in Atlanta and College Park, Md., claimed the role of peacemaker.

Spin is everything on a day like this, and Paul E. Tsongas had his all ready to go when he strolled into Logan Airport early Tuesday afternoon in casual slacks and blue work shirt. "I'm the breakthrough kid tonight," the former Massachusetts senator predicted to a clump of reporters. The words were a play on Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton's claim two weeks ago that when he finished second to Tsongas in the New Hampshire primary, he was "the comeback kid."

Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton revived his presidential hopes in Georgia by combining overwhelming support among blacks with the blue-collar, downscale base he built in the first primaries, a Los Angeles Times exit poll found Tuesday. On the Republican side, conservative commentator Patrick J. Buchanan's most potent weapon against President Bush continues to be discontent with the nation's basic direction, not ideological dissatisfaction, the poll found.

Democratic primary voters handed their presidential candidates another mixed message Tuesday, as Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas each won badly needed victories while former California Gov. Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr. scored a surprising win in Colorado. With 96% of the vote counted in a Colorado race that was close all night, Brown had 30%, Clinton 28% and Tsongas 26%. Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey had 13% and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin 3%.

After slugging it out for much of a Sunday debate doubleheader, four Democratic presidential contenders declared an informal truce and agreed that however sharp their differences, they still prefer each other to President Bush. Former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas, who bore the brunt of his colleagues' attacks in a bitter debate Saturday in Denver and during the confrontations Sunday in Atlanta and College Park, Md., claimed the role of peacemaker.