ON roadside snowbanks in New Hampshire, political posters sprouted in recent weeks. Those erected by the Lamar Alexander campaign said simply "Lamar", to imply familiarity, or "Lamar walked here", to remind voters how the former Tennessee governor stomped 100 miles on foot through the New England state seeking a primary victory.
His feet may be his fortune. Lamar also donned boots to make the point that he had to trudged through a mud bath of negative campaigning. Once, he held up a pair of hip length waders for the cameras, explaining the muck had got deeper.
His pretence of clean hands (and feet) helped to give the 55 year old candidate the highest approval rating in pre election opinion polls among the Republican front runners.
Mr Alexander did of course do his share of negative campaigning in his bid to gain the White House as a Washington outsider who would shift power back to states and localities. He hammered home the message that Senator Dole was a candidate with no ideas, and Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes were candidates with wrong ideas. At every opportunity he also reminded voters that Senator Dole was 72 years old.
Many Republicans and independents who voted in the Republican primary yesterday favoured him because of what he is not he is not the too old and uninspiring Senate majority leader he is not the flat tax proponent Steve Forbes, derided as Ross Perot without the voices in his head he is not the dangerous isolationist Pat Buchanan.
To some New Hampshire electors, Mr Lamar Alexander came across as a Republican version of Bill Clinton, a southern governor with charm and a political wife, but without the draft dodging or sex scandals.
His drawback was that his congeniality was that of a packaged candidate who lacked the passion and the "feel your pain" compassion of the Democratic Arkansas governor.
Mr Alexander and his wife, Mrs Leslee "Honey" Alexander, portrayed themselves as outsiders keen to reform Washington, though this had more to do with political expediency than reality. They are both consummate political insiders.
Mr Alexander was education secretary under President George Bush. Mrs Honey Alexander met her husband while working in the US capital for Senator John Tower of Texas, and she has served on important boards in Washington.
Mrs Honey Alexander and Mrs Elizabeth "Liddy" Dole have been involved with their husbands in cosy business deals with wealthy supporters. Democratic Party officials believe that because of this, if either Senator Dole or Mr Alexander get the Republican nomination they will think twice about making Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, or even Whitewater, a big issue in the presidential election.
Because of the criticism to which the First Couple were subjected two years ago when Mrs Clinton failed to reform health care, all four candidates made a point of promising they will give their wives no executive responsibility.
They said it jocularly but the laughter was awkward. They were, after all, publicly declaring that their wives were not qualified to undertake the task or do a better job.
"When I was governor, she let me be governor," Mr Alexander said bluntly. "I would be president, she would not." She said "I'm not interested in making policy decisions."
Senator Dole introduced his wife, Elizabeth, who is president of the American Red Cross, by promising that he would not put her in charge of health care, and then joking that she might open a blood bank at the White House.
Mr Pat Buchanan introduced his wife, Shelly, saying, "I've sort of nominated her to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton," and then added bluntly, "But Shelly won't be rewriting health care.
Shelly Buchanan, who once worked in the Nixon White House, is her husband's administrative assistant. Like Mrs Sabina Forbes, she was relegated to the role of prop in New Hampshire.
Mrs Liddy Dole came closest in New Hampshire to imitating Mrs Clinton's role in the 1992 Democratic campaign, when Hillary held joint voter seminars with her husband. But she kept her formidable personality in check.
Introduced at gatherings as one of the most admired women in the world, she spoke briefly, but then stepped back like a dutiful wife. "I'll be a working First Lady," she said, meaning she will keep her job as Red Cross president.
Mrs Honey Alexander campaigned across New Hampshire with her husband but also made sure no one got the impression that she will be running the country, if Lamar manages to walk all the way to the White House.