[codercpc]

I am interested in knowing if anyone who has studied past elections and primaries (LS that is why I am pinging you, you seem to have a wealth of knowledge in this area) knows of any other candidate that has gone from single digits, to front runner in such a short amount of time, only to sink back into oblivion just as quick like many here are predicting?

Don't late "surgers" tend to stay on the top in the early going?

I like Mike, but I absolutely have become convinced that he can not win a general election. He is just not a War Time President which we so greatly need at this time. I also don't like his nanny state ideals, but I could overlook those, just not his lack of foreign policy knowledge.

[EGPWS]

I also don't like his nanny state ideals, but I could overlook those,...

Most true Conservatives including myself can't.

[hinckley buzzard]

any other candidate that has gone from single digits, to front runner in such a short amount of time, only to sink back into oblivion just as quick like many here are predicting?

Gene McCarthy in 1968, carried the flag against LBJ, soon thereafter, aced out by opportunistic Bobby Kennedy and basically a no-show by convention time. Of course it was a different, and simpler world, back then.

[LS]

Perot comes to mind recently. At one point in 1992, for example, I think he had 25% in the polling, then he started to sink as the drive-bys got their teeth into him; so he dropped out, and returned later. I forget his final---15%-17% of the vote? However, had he remained constantly in the race, he would have been complete toast. His "vacation" gave him basically a couple of months without negative press, which was completely turned on GHW Bush.

Going further back, I think there was a boomlet for Jesse Jackson in 1988, but don't know the numbers.