The presidential race started off with a wide field of candidates on both sides. The early frontrunners were Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton and Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who fizzled fast. Hillary fought a long and bitter battle against a better funded and better organized Barack Obama, losing the race just before the Democratic Convention.
The also-ran candidates didn’t amount to much, and most of them didn’t even raise their profiles enough to be featured in cartoons by themselves. There was some excitement when sleepy Senator Fred Thompson entered the race, only to drift away. Mitt Romney held on for a while, but his flip-flop on the abortion issue, and his Mormon religion were tough sells to the GOP’s evangelical base. Except for Hillary, the losing candidates didn’t amount to much.
