ROVO, Utah - Despite the withdrawal, as predicted, of the primary challengers in both parties yesterday, the two presidential campaign front-runners did little to suggest they were relaxing before the start of the harrowing eight-month general election race. If anything, Texas Governor George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore seemed to be sending each other a message: This will be a long, hard fight.
Brimming with confidence, Bush held rallies in three Western states with upcoming Republican primaries, even though that battle was all but won. Gore also put himself in the spotlight by unexpectedly flying to Washington, D.C., to be on hand if needed to break a tie as the Senate voted to confirm two federal appellate judges.
Neither overshadowed the day's headline: that John McCain and Bill Bradley were pulling out. Both Bush and Gore were magnanimous toward their erstwhile opponents. Bush was particularly warm toward McCain, who departed gracefully, expressing none of the rancor that marked his earlier losses in the primaries. And Bush's earlier bitterness over what he described as negative campaign tactics by McCain seemed to have all but disappeared.
But by late in the day, as Bush continued his attacks on Gore's manner of raising campaign funds, the challengers already seemed to have become an afterthought.
Bush focused on Gore's assertion that he opposed unregulated soft-money donations - and then he cited reports that the vice president was raising millions in soft-money donations himself. While Bush spoke to supporters in 20-degree weather outside the Denver Broncos' practice complex, his aides passed out a news release with the headline: ''Gore: Soft Money is Bad, but it Sure Comes in Handy!'' Later, at a news conference, Bush said he was ''amazed'' by what he called Gore's hypocrisy.
''I can't imagine what he's thinking,'' Bush said. ''Must be thinking we're not paying attention. He must believe that only words matter in life.''
Gore has challenged Bush not to use soft money during the campaign. ''All he has to do is agree to the challenge with no conditions, no prerequisites,'' Gore said yesterday. ''All he has to do is say `yes.' Ban all soft money from this campaign.''
Both men allowed their departing opponents their due. Gore issued a statement praising Bradley's campaign, saying he ran a ''campaign based on the highest ideals. ... This primary has been good for the Democratic Party and good for the nation.
''Bill Bradley is a good man whom I respect greatly,'' the Gore statement said. ''I am honored to have his support.''
President Clinton also addressed Bradley's decision to leave the Democratic race. During a question-and-answer session, Clinton said: ''If you looked at the issues he raised and the way in which he raised them, it recalled again how very much more substantive in my judgment the debate was on the Democratic side, on the issues, and how much more agreement there was.''
''On the Republican side there was far more disagreement, I think, and it was far less rooted in issues that will really affect the American people,'' Clinton said.
But the tone on the Republican side had softened noticeably by yesterday.
In Utah, Bush told a hushed crowd that he had spoken with McCain earlier that day, after the senator suspended his campaign leaving former ambassador Alan Keyes as the only other Republican still in the race.
In a phone call, Bush thanked McCain for his ''gracious comments'' in announcing his decision to suspend the campaign, aides said. Bush told McCain he ''appreciated how he had handled his decision to no longer be an active candidate,'' Bush communications director Karen Hughes said.
At the rally in Provo, Bush elaborated on his sentiments toward the Arizona senator. ''I want to say something publicly about the senator: I appreciate the kind words,'' said Bush, who listened to McCain's speech live on the radio while driving to a rally.
''I appreciate so very much the competition and the hard work that he put into the campaign,'' he said.
