POLITICAL BRIEFING

ENDANGERED TRADITION: If Tuesday’s vote culminates in the election of Democrat Bill Clinton, more than just 12 years of Republican rule will come to an end. Also swept away will be one of the guideposts of contemporary political punditry. . . . Since 1952, every candidate who went on to the White House first won his party’s New Hampshire primary, a heritage that has helped the contest achieve near-legendary importance. Clinton, in contrast, almost saw his candidacy end in the Granite State; only a last-minute surge allowed him to finish a respectable second to former Massachusetts Sen. Paul E. Tsongas. . . . A victory by President Bush on Tuesday will keep New Hampshire’s streak alive, even though his primary win there this year was notable mainly for its less-than-impressive margin over Patrick J. Buchanan.