ANOVER, N.H. - Tonight brings Act II of the Dartmouth ''debates,'' though the television audience will likely thin and expectations diminish as five Republican presidential hopefuls but not the GOP front-runner take the stage.
They will participate in same sort of discussion, taking questions from voters at a town hall-style gathering, that Democrats Al Gore and Bill Bradley engaged in last night. But the focus of the forum may be as much on who is absent - George W. Bush - than on five who plan to attend: Gary Bauer, Steve Forbes, Orrin Hatch, Alan Keyes and John McCain.
Of these McCain seems to have the most to gain or lose from his performance. Keyes, Hatch and Bauer capture less than 10 percent - combined - in some polls. Forbes is more formidable, but has also struggled for a foothold in the race. But McCain's poll numbers and public profile have been decidely on the upswing, and he is eager to emerge as the clear and plausible alternative to Bush.
''This is a chance for McCain to really shine,'' said Dean Spiliotes. ''I think people are looking at this to see what McCain has to say.''
Yesterday, McCain tried to make the most of the brightening spotlight by challenging his opponents to support his idea to kill federal subsidies for the ethanol, sugar, gas and oil industries in order to fund a nationwide test of a school voucher program. And tomorrow his campaign will begin broadcasting a 60-second advertisement on New Hampshire television that focuses on the major moments in his personal story, from his long captivity as a Vietnam POW to his service in the Senate.
''It will continue to tell the John McCain story, which connects the dots and shows why he's so believable when he says he'll take on the special interests and shake up Washington,'' said John Weaver, McCain's national political director.
Tonight's event also offers McCain and the other four Republicans a chance to rough up Bush, the Texas governor and clear leader in the GOP race thus far. This is the second New Hampshire forum Bush has skipped in a week, and his competitors want the world to know.
''I think Governor Bush is diminished as a candidate by not being willing to appear before the voters and make his views known to them,'' said Richard Lessner, the senior adviser to Bauer. ''He'll suffer as a result.''
Last week, Bush declined to attend a forum at the University of New Hampshire even though he had spent the day campaigning in New Hampshire. Instead, he attended a fund-raiser for himself and a second one for the Vermont Republican Party.
Tonight, Bush is attending a ceremony at Southern Methodist University where his wife, Laura, is being honored. Bush said last week that his wife is more important to him than a debate, and if the voters take it out on him then ''so be it.'' (Bush, perhaps to soften the impact of his absence, has made himself available for a WMUR-TV interview tomorrow.)
''In New Hampshire, voters are savvy enough to recognize an excuse when they hear one,'' said John J. Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College who specializes in Republican politics.
While McCain has recently emerged as a threat to Bush here, the Forbes campaign is still fighting for similar stature.
Michael Kranish of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
