Good point.
At this point in the 2008 presidential election cycle, Barack Obama was unknown to most Americans. At this time in that cycle, we heard the stories about how Hillary was the front runner for 2008, was inevitable, etc.
We’re hearing all of that again now about Hillary. But what is there is another Democrat, as little known as Obama was then, who is going to come out of nowhere?
Heck, even back in the ‘70s, Georgia governor Jimmy Carter was little known nationally when he began the campaign, and won the nomination.
Ditto for Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas, when he ran the first time in ‘92.
John Kerry was an exception - and he lost.