At this point, can anyone else win?

[Inmate Trump]

I'm 20 years old and this is really the first primary that I've paid close attention to.  The last, in 2000, wasn't that exciting since everybody with half a brain already knew which candidate would win their respective primaries long before the first vote was cast.

It's a bit more interesting this time around, for me anyway, because there's now 9 candidates fighting for the nomination.  I know if the election were held today, all indications are that Dean would win.

My question is, at this stage in the primary race can another candidate actually begin to overcome Dean in the polls and beat him in the election - even with Iowa and N.H. less than a month away?  I guess all things are possible in politics (after all, Bill Clinton was elected--twice), but is there a situation any of you see where an anti-Dean candidate could win the nomination?  Any way that Dean could drop so low in the polls that quickly to cost him the nomination?

[Inmate Trump]

Clinton, Bush, and Dukakis all lost New Hampshire and won the nominations.

True, but N.H. isn't the only key state Dean is currently leading in.  In fact, Dean now leads in all early states, at least the ones I've found polls for.  It would take a lot to knock Dean off now, I think.  Do you see it differently?

[Inmate Trump]

Clinton, Bush, and Dukakis all lost New Hampshire and won the nominations.

They weren't running in ridiculously front-loaded primaries, though.  If Dean wins NH and Iowa, I just don't see that there is any time to stop Dean.  The "Big Mo" will propel him too far too fast for anyone to catch him.

Clark could win on Feb 2 and have a chance, but I don't see it happening.

Why don't you see it hapening MiamiU?

In the polls that I've seen, Dean is leading most of the Feb. 3 states.  These include Arizona, Delaware, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.  Gephardt leads in his home state of Missouri.  I haven't seen a poll for North Dakota.  Furthermore, the states that closely follow the Feb. 3 primaries (those on the 7th, 8th, and 10th) all seem to be going to Dean, according to the polls anyway.

Clark just doesn't have a breakthrough state, the way I see it.  He's not really *leading* anywhere.  In some states, like South Carolina, he's running just behind Dean or neck and neck with Dean...but after Dean gets Iowa, N.H., etc, that'll push him higher in S.C., leaving Clark and others trailing behind.

But then again, this is the first primary election I've really watched closely.  I could be way off.