Much like the state of the GOP field today, the democratic nomination was equally wide open in 1988 and many contenders threw their hat in the ring -- and much like today, none were considered heavyweight contenders at the time, which earned them the unflattering nickname of the "seven dwarfs". The candidates included Richard Gephardt, Al Gore, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, Gary Hart, and little-knows Bruce Babbit and Paul Simon, and of course, Michael Dukakis, who proved his meddle against them all.
With Huckabee and Trump out, dissatisfaction the the GOP field has reached an all time high. Unsure of Mitt Romney's liabilities, Newt Gingrich's gaffes, Ron Paul's so-called un-electability, Michele Bachmann's oft-factually incorrect remarks and Sarah Palin's hesitation, many on the right are hoping to draft alternate candidates who can unite the party and lead them to victory against Obama. Potential "white horse" candidates include Mitch Daniels, who is flirting with a run, and Chris Christie, who has rebuffed all efforts to enter the race.
While no-one has yet labeled the field the "seven dwarfs", now might be an opportune time to resurrect the label. After all, there are seven "serious" contenders, give or take a few: