He or she would miss such crucial primaries as Illinois, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

As deputy campaign chairman, Mr. Segal played a central role in helping Mr. McGovern win California's crucial Democratic primary.

Mr. Tsongas, who dropped out of the Democratic race last March after losing several crucial primaries, declined to comment today.

Mr. Bush was determined to muffle the outcry before crucial primaries in New York, California, Illinois and other states with large Catholic constituencies.

President Bush is a inveterate user of satellite technology; during crucial primaries, the President frequently offered to do live interviews with local news stations by satellite.

In fact, she said she would probably vote for Mr. Gore in Tuesday's crucial Democratic primary in New York.

This kept him in business - and on the air - through the crucial early primaries.

He added that the victory "gives us a tremendous head of steam heading into next week's crucial primaries."

It could also be a linchpin in a Cuomo Presidential campaign, freeing him to enter crucial primaries beginning in February.

His margin here was not large, and in the crucial primaries ahead, he will not benefit from the next-door-neighbor status that benefited him in Iowa.