Mrs. Dole is out of the race, but the issue of integrity isn't.

The two Democratic candidates debate their health care plans; the six Republicans talk tax cuts and tax reform. But many voters in the first primary state say a candidate's character counts more than positions on individual issues.

"I think when you give someone the right to provide the leadership for your country, for your future and the future of your children and grandchildren, that's a huge gift of trust," said Sallie Klum, 65, a Republican from Hollis who is still undecided about a candidate.

The retired school counselor says people don't earn her trust easily in personal or business relationships, and that goes for presidential candidates, too.

"It has to be someone whom I can respect as a person of integrity," she said. "We're all fallible, we all make mistakes in judgment, but character is something apart."

Eight years ago, reviving the state's ravaged economy was the dominant issue of the presidential primary campaign. By 1996, the economy was better, but still a big issue.

This year, though voters frequently question the candidates about health care, Social Security, school violence and other subjects, character appears to overshadow all other issues.

In a Los Angeles Times poll in November, morality and integrity were the most-mentioned issues when New Hampshire Republicans were asked what they expected from the next president. Morality and integrity also were ranked high by Democratic primary voters, behind education and taxes.

On the Republican side, Arizona Sen. John McCain appears to be benefiting most from a campaign without a dominant policy issue.

In the Los Angeles Times poll, more than one-third of George W. Bush's backers said they had no specific reason they supported him or were not sure of the reason. The comparable figure for McCain was half that, and 31 percent said they liked him because of his integrity.

Tim McNamara, a 43-year-old environmental consultant, calls McCain "a breeze of honesty and integrity."

"You know exactly where he's coming from. He doesn't formulate responses to questions based on what the acceptable answer is. I think he says what he truly feels," said McNamara, a Republican from Lebanon. "I just don't sense that from the other candidates. In particular, (Vice President Al) Gore's responses seem to have been formulated by committee, and I suspect Bush's responses also are. I want someone who tells me how they really feel, whether or not I agree with it."

Democrats and Republicans alike say much of their focus on character is a result of so-called Clinton fatigue -- a desire to put President Clinton's impeachment trial behind them.

"For me, character is one of the most important considerations because of what we've been through for the past eight years," said another undecided voter, Peter Ellinwood, 38, a Republican who works at a financial services company in Concord.

"It's an embarrassment to the country, and I'm fed up with it," he said.

Cynthia Onigman, 74, a Democrat from Manchester, said she trusted Clinton when he was elected, "but I feel he betrayed my trust."

"That's something I don't think we'd have to worry about with Bill Bradley," said Onigman, a retired interior designer.

Those sentiments make it tough for Gore, who has struggled to distance himself from the Clinton controversies while embracing the administration's economic achievements.

He's had some success at forums around the state, where his promise to stay until every question is answered leaves many voters with a new appreciation for his sincerity.

But Onigman thinks he's trying too hard to appear sincere.

"I think Al Gore is a very nice man, but I feel he's very controlled by his handlers," she said. "He makes me nervous the way he speaks."

She has been backing Bradley since she listened to one of his books, "Time Present, Time Past," on tape.

"My husband and I sat in the car driving for hours listening to this man. We were both so impressed by him," she said. "This is a man of such high integrity and morality," she said. "When he tells you something, it's the truth."