By AMY MCCONNELL

Monitor staff

McCain stickers sprouted on car bumpers. Breath froze in the air. And students packed into a town hall meeting at Dartmouth College to hear McCain rail at the special interests he said have disillusioned voters and corrupted the political process.

But this time, the senator had a more difficult task than winning over reform-minded voters: He had to win over reform-minded voters on behalf of George W. Bush, the man he once described as the ultimate establishment candidate.

I think my party has lost its way - I wouldn't have run if I thought Gov. Bush believed that, McCain told a crowd of several hundred students who filled an auditorium at Dartmouth's Hopkins Center and then perched on the stairwell's steps and banisters, craning to see over their neighbors' shoulders. But I campaigned on a message of reform, and I think Gov. Bush is the best person to carry on that fight.

Later, McCain explained how Bush could be an advocate of reform. Bush, he said, supports a number of reforms with which he agrees, including overhauls of education, the tax code and the military.

As for his signature issue of campaign finance reform, McCain said, Obviously we have a difference on campaign finance reform, but I believe the tide of public opinion and everything else will dictate that we will work together on that issue as well.

Yesterday's town hall meeting, and a later stop at the Hampton Inn in Bow, were the first of McCain's two days of New Hampshire campaign appearances scheduled for this week. At both events, McCain's reunion with loyal supporters, many of whom are now voting for Bush, prompted him and them to wax nostalgic.

We miss you, one man said.

But yesterday, at least, McCain was trying to get other Republicans elected. He stumped for Executive Councilor Peter Spaulding, U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass and state Senate candidate Jim Rubens of Etna, and posed for pictures with a slew of other Senate candidates. Several other political notables, including former gubernatorial contender Jeff Howard and U.S. Senator Bob Smith, also showed up to display party unity and share the limelight.

Gordon Humphrey, the Republican nominee for governor, did not attend yesterday's events because he was already scheduled for Arnie Arnesen's radio show, he said. Humphrey said he plans to appear and have his picture taken with McCain when he campaigns with Bush at St. Anselm College in Bedford on Friday.

At Dartmouth, members of the crowd - most of whom were students and few of whom wore Bass, Rubens or Bush stickers - listened as first Rubens, then Bass extolled the virtues of campaign finance reform.

We need the public interest before the corporate interest, said Rubens, who denounced state officials for their $1.8 billion bailout of Public Service Company of New Hampshire. If I'm elected to the Senate, that kind of thing won't happen again in New Hampshire.

While the students applauded for Rubens and Bass and Bush, they cheered for McCain, who told them their votes will help decide races for president, Congress and the Senate - all of which are now too close to call.

Regardless of who wins, McCain said to thundering applause, his first and last commitment will be to reform campaign financing so government is taken out of the hands of big money and put back in the hands of the people.

The course of this general election, he said, has shown that reform is needed now more than ever. He didn't spare the Republican Party.

You tell me someone buys a $500,000 ticket to a fund-raiser because they're interested in good government? McCain said. Again, it's the grip of special interests, my friends. Big money is in this campaign more than we've ever seen before. . . . It's in the billions and billions of dollars.

When McCain opened the floor to the audience, students peppered him with questions on his views as if he were the candidate for office.

Wasn't placing filtering software on library computers a form of censorship? one man asked.

Perhaps, McCain said, but it's as much an obligation as keeping pornography out of schools and libraries.

How can a pro-choice voter who otherwise agrees with the Republican Party reconcile the differences? asked another student.

If I had been the nominee of the party I would have said that we, as Republicans, although we're a pro-life party, believe there's room in the party for disagreement on the issue, McCain said. But we didn't do that . . . and by the way, I don't believe there should be a litmus test.

Regardless of which candidates voters settled on, he said, issues like paying down the national debt, cutting taxes, saving Social Security and Medicare, and preventing more terrorist attacks were too pressing for them to stay home on Nov. 7.

If you are a Republican or a Democrat or a Libertarian or a vegetarian, please know that this election is very important, McCain said, echoing his oft-repeated plea to voters during the primary. I hope you will turn out to vote and get everyone else you know to vote and reverse this trend of declining youth participation.

After the town hall meeting, several students waiting to shake McCain's hand or have him sign a copy of his book - or, in one case, a copy of Seventeen magazine - said his willingness to reach out to younger voters and his fervor had inspired them during the primary.

If they had been of voting age, several said, they would have voted for McCain. Now that the candidate they wanted has endorsed Bush, they said, they're not sure they can follow.