USTIN, Texas - Amid all the revelry, as supporters cheered and aides beamed and nearly everyone basked in the presence of the man they believed would become president of the United States, there seemed one small dark blot.
Bush was, after all, trounced in Massachusetts by Senator John McCain, rejected more emphatically than he had been in any state since the devastating primary loss in New Hampshire.
But campaign aides showed hardly a twinge of disappointment last night. No one expected much from the Bay State in the first place. In reality, the Bush campaign had quietly conceded Massachusetts, writing it off as ''that state'' neighboring New Hampshire.
Which explained, in part, why Bush was still glowing last night about Governor Paul Cellucci, his New England point man, despite the Massachusetts outcome.
There were no suggestions Cellucci might suffer in Bush's eyes. There were no hints he might be crossed off the list of supporters who could reasonably hope for a position in a Bush White House. During his victory speech, Bush thanked Cellucci first among the nation's governors, even though, he said, ''the election results didn't turn out the way we wanted.''
''Governor Cellucci's star is very high with the Bush campaign. He's been a warrior. He's done everything we've asked and more,'' senior Bush strategist Karl Rove said last night, as the returns poured in.
''I'm sure it's been tough for him, because it's not exactly been fertile ground for Governor Bush,'' agreed Bush's communications director, Karen Hughes. ''We all know Massachusetts is a very difficult state. And we all know how hard Governor Cellucci has worked for us.''
To be sure, it would have taken more than one small state, with a mere 37 delegates at stake, to dampen the spirit of the Bush campaign during the party last night, as he claimed victory in nine other states.
As supporters overflowed from the ballroom of the most ornate hotel in the Texas capital, boisterously celebrating their governor's victory, Bush watched the results trickle in from his mansion several blocks away. Beaming, Bush told reporters: ''There's a lot of enthusiasm in Texas. A lot of people put in a lot of long, hard hours for this campaign.''
Late last night, Bush gave a victory speech at the Four Seasons Hotel, all but claiming the Republican nomination and thanking his opponents, McCain and Alan Keyes for giving him a ''spirited contest.'' He was reluctant to say the race was over. But Bush, who may telephone McCain as early as today, and whose aides clearly hope the Arizona senator is considering the idea of pulling out, said he expected the Republican party to soon ''unite'' in opposition to Vice President Al Gore.
Still, the underlying sentiment of last night's party was that the nomination was already won. And the exit polls reinforced what Bush had said all along: That among Republicans, he was the clear favorite.
Which appeared true even in Massachusetts.
In fact, Bush aides blamed not Massachusetts Republicans but the thousands of Democrats and independents who swapped their political designation in the final hours in order to vote for McCain.
They blamed the state's proximity to New Hampshire, as well. With the Boston media market so close to the southern part of the state that hammered Bush early on, voters were ''bombarded'' by the impression that McCain was the preferred candidate, Rove said.
Compared to Republican governors in other states, particularly Governor John Engler of Michigan, whose political machine could not produce a victory for Bush, Cellucci never promised an easy victory. Instead, he paid his dues in dollars, helping raise some $1.75 million for the Texas governor over the last year, a feat Bush aides immediately cited in his defense.
They spoke so highly of Cellucci, in fact, that one aide seemed surprised when asked whether Bush had formally forgiven Cellucci for the outcome in his state. Don Evans, the national finance chairman for Bush, said it was obvious Cellucci had been given a pass. ''He knows that,'' Evans said. ''He knows he's our friend. I don't question Governor Cellucci's leadership or friendship. The people of Massachusetts will vote how they see fit.''
