The Rick Perry phenomenon: Like Obama '08, Dean '04... or Goldwater '64?

Other candidates have rocketed into the lead early in the presidential campaign. Some wound up in the White House... some didn't

Gov. Rick Perry's quick ascension within his party is drawing comparisons to previous presidential hopefuls, including Barack Obama.
(Image credit: Win Mcnamee, Sara D. Davis/ Getty Images)

In his quest to be the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, Texas Gov. Rick Perry has quickly leapt to the top of the polls — the question is whether he can stay there. History offers plenty of candidates who started strong and rode that initial support all the way to the White House. But it's also littered with cautionary tales of candidates who seemed fated to win, only to fizzle out before election day. Which is Perry's destiny? Here, a list of past candidates whose stories might foretell Perry's future:

1. Barack Obama

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