Show your knowledge! Name winning politicians that came out of nowhere!

[Bonobo]

I have been challenged with the idea that we did not always live in a time that is as absorbed with star-like politicians with family names.

I named Jimmy Carter off the top of my head but I bow to the great accumulated knowledge of DU.

Let's see how many politicians that gained popularity because of their politics and not their name recognition!

Let's show them, DU! Start!

[craigmatic]

1. James Polk, Barack Obama and A. Lincoln.

Polk was the compromise candidate in 1844 as the dem convention deadlocked and he promised to only serve 1 term. Lincoln's only major elected office besides state representative was 1 term in congress. Obama had 1 term as IL senator and his only real claim to fame was the 2004 keynote speech.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. I'm not sure I would include Lincoln in that group

Lincoln had attracted nationwide attention in 1858 from his political debates with Stephen A. Douglas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln–Douglas_debates

[TwilightGardener]

2. Well, Bill Clinton is a self-made guy.

[Scuba]

3. Russ Feingold.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

4. Paul Wellstone nt

[Recursion]

6. Polk and TR are probably the two biggest

TR was shoved into the Vice Presidency as a way to keep him out of New York state where he was pissing off the party bosses.

[Javaman]

7. Kang on the Simpsons. nt