Howard Dean took an early lead in the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination race. "Howling Howard Dean was streets ahead of the pack," The Economist reported. "And the president's main strategist, Karl Rove, was salivating at the prospect of facing an airy-fairy north-eastern liberal. 'Please nominate this man,' pleaded the cover of the conservative National Review..."

[Dean's campaign soon fizzled. "I wanted to say to Governor Dean," Al Sharpton later declared, "don't be hard on yourself about hooting and hollering (a reference to Dean's trademark enthusiasm). If I had spent the money you did and got 18%, I'd still be in Iowa hooting and hollering!"]