What makes the dark horses run

Do such unfancied candidates really believe they can win? Often, the answer — rooted in hope, optimism and the understanding that the Beltway conventional wisdom can be spectacularly  wrong — is yes.

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“The presidential primaries are just like the NCAA [basketball] bracket,” said Boston University professor Tobe Berkovitz, who specializes in political communications. 

“There is always one sleeper, surprise ‘team’ that makes it further toward their goal, toward the final, than expected. Everyone is hoping that their campaign is the one that catches fire.”…

“In the case of Martin O’Malley, my guess is that he is looking at the formidable power of an upcoming Hillary Clinton candidacy but thinking, ‘Maybe, with the right message, with the right campaign, I might be able to catch fire. Maybe [voters] are looking for something new but they just don’t know it yet,’” said Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis.

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