BOSTON - John Kerry made little mention of his home state as he declared his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in South Carolina on Tuesday - a decision political observers say was no accident.

It was a concerted effort, they said, to distance himself from the label of "Massachusetts liberal" - a moniker that helped doom failed presidential hopeful Michael Dukakis, a man Kerry once served under as lieutenant governor.

"John Kerry doesn't want to get pegged as another liberal Democrat from Massachusetts. It doesn't hurt running for the (Democratic) nomination, but it's a killer in the general election," said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. "Massachusetts is viewed as very liberal and out of the national mainstream. ... It may be unfair, but that's the reality."

Kerry, looking to jump start a struggling campaign, chose Mount Pleasant, S.C., for his formal announcement, using the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown as a backdrop.

During the speech, Kerry made only one fleeting mention of Massachusetts when discussing his service in Vietnam. He avoided any direct reference to his New England political roots, the New Hampshire primary or another touchstone for most Massachusetts Democrats, John F. Kennedy.

Kerry needs some good news on the campaign front.

A CBS News poll released Sunday had fellow Democratic presidential hopefuls Joe Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and Howard Dean at the head of the pack among registered Democrats - while Kerry trailed, tying Al Sharpton with just 5 percent. He had been in double digits in national polls for most of the year.

Another poll released last week showed Kerry, who plans to hold a campaign rally Wednesday at the historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, in trouble in New Hampshire, with its crucial early primary. The Zogby International poll of likely Democratic primary voters there showed Dean with a 21-point lead over Kerry. Dean, the former governor of neighboring Vermont, had lagged behind Kerry in earlier polls.

Massachusetts Republicans are watching Kerry's struggles with a hint of glee.

"It's revealing that he chose South Carolina for his initial campaign kick off because his campaign has been heading south for months," said Dominick Ianno, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "Clearly, he's blown his lead in New Hampshire to the point where he's looking ahead to other states."

Democrats in Kerry's home state aren't ready to abandon their candidate. They say his choice of South Carolina and his emphasis on foreign policy plays to his strengths as a prominent Vietnam vet, particularly against Dean, who never served in the military or had been on a national political stage until his presidential bid.

"He's emphasizing his experience in national security issues and contrasting his very deep experience with Howard Dean's lack of experience in foreign affairs," said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Phil Johnston. "It's not really a story to say that a presidential candidate has support at home."

South Carolina also could help Kerry set up a political "firewall" if things go poorly in New Hampshire, Boston University communications professor Tobe Berkovitz said.

Winning in South Carolina would help Kerry shed some of his Massachusetts liberal baggage and show he has traction outside of New England, he said. The Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 19, followed by the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 3.

"Kerry's original strategy is that he owned New Hampshire. Now he is going to have to fight for New Hampshire. If he loses, he needs to be strong in the next huge round of primaries," Berkovitz said. "He's trying to move from being a niche Massachusetts candidate to being a broader, partisan Democratic candidate."