Former Senator John Edwards
On fire — if a bit hot — whenever he got a chance to talk, but disappeared for long stretches, disrupting some of his momentum and aspirations to reach first-tier status. Twice challenged Hillary Clinton (though without naming her) on taking contributions from lobbyists and serving as big business's favorite candidate. Worked double time to pursue his current go-for-broke strategy by being the anti-Washington candidate of change, and followed the advice of the philosopher Graham Parker: passion is no ordinary word.
—By Mark Halperin