On the other hand, Mr Howard has the advantage of incumbency, a successful record as a ruthless political strategist and an economy that is humming into its 16th year of uninterrupted growth.
Incumbency is normally a huge advantage in an election, but it's become an albatross, as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg can ruefully attest after nearly losing his reelection bid to an incompetent, underfinanced and largely unknown opponent.