March

March 2: Dole looks for a firewall in South Carolina, where the GOP party establishment is firmly on his side, to regain clear front-runner status. The popular former governor, Carroll Campbell, says Dole has the experience to be president. "We just elected a president last time that needed on-the-job training," Carroll said. "We're in trouble. We have problems, real problems." The Palmetto State doesn't disappoint. Dole scores a 45-29 percent victory over Buchanan, who has to confront what the limits of his support may be. Related Links: The numbers.

March 3: Longshot contender Alan Keyes tries to force his way into an Atlanta debate, but police haul him away in handcuffs. Related Links: Keyes In Custody: Quick Time Movie

March 5: On Junior Tuesday, Dole cements his grasp on the Republican presidential nomination with a clean sweep of all eight primaries. Buchanan says Dole's nomination "appears inevitable," but suggests Dole could trip. "I still think there's a very, very long shot that Senator Dole could stumble badly," Buchanan tells reporters. Related Link: Junior Tuesday Special Report

March 6: Alexander and Dick Lugar bow out of the race and endorse Dole.

March 7: Dole wins easily in New York, marching steadily toward the nomination. Related Link:New York Special Report

March 12: By the time the Super Tuesday primaries roll around, cynics are calling it Superfluous Tuesday or Stupor Tuesday, because of Dole's seemingly rock-solid lead. He sweeps seven primaries and urges Buchanan and Forbes to get on board. "Our focus should be on Bill Clinton, not Bob Dole or each other," Dole said. Super Tuesday locks up the Democratic nomination for Clinton. Related LinK: Super Tuesday Special Report

March 14: Forbes bows out; Dole says, 'No doubt about it; it helps."

March 19: Dole clinches the nomination with wins in the Midwestern primaries, but decides to wait until the winner-take-all-primary in California a week hence to claim his prize. From Texas comes word of a fly in the ointment: Ross Perot may run again. Related Link: Industrial Heartland Special Report

March 26: Dole wins California and finally declares what has been obvious since South Carolina: He will be the GOP nominee. But he has a problem too; he's nearing the primary campaign spending limit and will find himself hamstrung for much of the summer, waiting for the GOP convention and a fall check from the federal government.

April

Early April: Organized labor gears up for a $35 million-plus campaign to defeat freshmen Republicans in the House. The GOP cries foul, but lets labor's ads go unaswered for months.

April 4: Leaders of the U.S. Taxpayers Party explore ways to draft Buchanan as their nominee for president this fall, even if Buchanan resists the idea.

April 10: Clinton vetoes the so-called partial-birth abortion bill, sparking immediate protests from religious leaders and anti-abortion groups. Dole says Clinton is "out there on the extremist fringe." Related Link: Issues Briefing -- Abortion

Late April: Buyer's remorse sets in. Some leading conservatives are already bemoaning Dole's chances of beating Clinton. Values man Bill Bennett said he sees "very little enthusiasm" for Dole and Weekly Standard Publisher William Kristol writes Dole "may lose badly."

April 29: In videotaped testimony at the White House, Clinton denies that he pressured an Arkansas lender to make a $300,000 loan to one of Clinton's Whitewater business partners. Related Link: Transcript of Clinton's Whitewater Testimony