Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio
Smiling, optimistic, and decidedly on his unique message. If there is room in the party for a candidate who channels Ralph Nader, Peter Yarrow, and both Barneys (Frank and the purple dinosaur), Kucinich wedged himself into the space by making his case more coherently than at any time during his 2004 campaign. And if (big "if") he has been submitting himself to debate prep with professional coaches, it paid off — style and tone always matter.
—by Mark Halperin