By Anne E. Kornblut, Globe Staff, 2/2/2000

OFFSTOWN, N.H. - Governor George W. Bush knew he was in for a tough fight in New Hampshire. He was mindful of his father's struggles here. He was even prepared to lose.

NEW HAMPSHIRE RESULTS Republican 98% of precincts reporting McCain 49% Bush 31% Forbes 13% Keyes 6% Bauer 1% Democrats 98% of precincts reporting Gore 52% Bradley 47% Percentages will not necessarily add to 100. FROM THE GLOBE Democrats fight to a close finish Independents turn GOP contest Contrarians speak up, leaders get wake up call Arizona senator has found strength in his weaknesses Independent voters say character was key to decision Why they voted the way they did Result no setback for Bush backer Cellucci Primary shows off NBC synergy Independents seen taking up the insurgents' fight Bauer, Keyes unbowed as they vow to soldier on Forbes hopes to make it a three-way race Bush campaign says it's ready to move on In Granite State diner, a final helping of politics First primary settled, campaigns mull new tactics On campaign trail, it's a frantic pace Vow of tenacity keeps Bradley's spirits high, focus keen For vice president's campaign, no letup in asking for votes NECN VIDEO Forbes praises McCain win, asks for more support Keyes will stay in race, despite big N.H. loss Gore wins the Democratic N.H. primary over Bradley Bradley greets voters at polls Will Bradley triumph? Turnout heavy in Granite State Can McCain pull off a victory? Gore makes a last minute effort These video clips are viewed using RealPlayer. Get RealPlayer | Help EARLIER COVERAGE Gore wins close race among Democrats McCain savors big win over Bush in GOP race True to tradition, N.H. tests front-runners McCain impressed voters as straight shooter GOP voters happier with candidates than in '96 Independents say character was key to vote Granite State voters have their say N.H. Secretary of State again predicts high turnout Keys to reading the New Hampshire returns Bradley, McCain win Dixville Notch, Hart's Location

But no one expected the bruising defeat of yesterday. As Bush tried to put the best face on his double-digit loss, speaking to supporters at a rally just minutes after the polls closed, the unshakable confidence that surrounded his candidacy was noticeably subdued.

One adviser said Bush might need to retune his presentation. Another said the staff was mostly feeling ''disappointed.''

No one suggested Bush was in serious trouble nationwide. Bush himself insisted he was ''not the least bit dispirited.'' If anything, the campaign was looking forward to the rest of the country, aides said, eager to fly today to South Carolina to campaign among voters far less independent-minded and unpredictable, in a state that has turned out to support the Bush family for decades.

''Number one: Erase New Hampshire out of your memory and move on. Get back to the things that work,'' said J. Warren Tompkins, Bush's Southeast regional director. ''And adjust a little bit to the things that didn't work.''

A senior Bush strategist, Karl Rove, delivered news of the disappointing exit poll results to the governor at 1:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon, while Bush and his wife were waiting for returns in his suite at the Residence Inn in Merrimack.

Bush, quiet and resolute, first asked to speak with US Senator Judd Gregg, his state party chair. Then Bush gathered his senior aides for a meeting to discuss what would come next, Rove said.

''This is a guy who is steady under fire,'' Rove said. ''It just made you proud to be associated with the guy. He said, `Nobody's ever won this prize without suffering some rough patches.'''

By late afternoon, with the wide gap between McCain and Bush more evident, the campaign had honed its message: The Arizona senator, they would say, had won through singleminded devotion to a single state.

Bush accepted defeat graciously. Arriving at Saint Anselm College here shortly after 8 p.m., he told a cheering crowd he had phoned McCain with congratulations. He promised to carry the fight to South Carolina, where aides said he might employ tougher tactics. He showed no evidence of being stunned by the loss.

''This is a long road. And I'm on the road. And the road is not always going to be smooth,'' Bush said, his voice slightly scratchy at the end of a day that began at 6:30 a.m.

Simple gusto had not been enough to resuscitate the campaign of Bush's father, George Bush, in 1980. Coming out of the Iowa caucuses with an overwhelming victory, the elder Bush, then the underdog, championed the ''Big Mo'' - momentum he hoped would carry him through New Hampshire.

Bush lost to Reagan. His son was mindful of the loss. Just before winning the Iowa caucuses Jan. 24, the Texas governor said: ''Big Mo didn't work.''

Yet his expectations for New Hampshire were high as late as yesterday morning. At one campaign stop, Bush told reporters he expected to win. Last night, when it was clear the opposite had happened, Bush's New Hampshire media consultant, Patrick W. Griffin said: ''I think everybody is disappointed.''

Late yesterday afternoon, Griffin said of Bush: ''He's in very good spirits. There's no change of plans. If I told you we were elated, you'd probably realize I wasn't telling the truth. He wanted to win. But he's a competitive guy. He's got this in perspective.''