FIVE FAILURES, AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW

Robert Dole

The sour-faced Kansan Senator had a rotten time in 1996, appearing old, tired and downright cussed when compared with the fresh-faced young governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton. He must have had a few laughs since then about Clinton's subsequent track record, though he has kept them to himself. He now works for, among others, the highest-earning political law firm in Washington, and is the best known test case for Viagra.

Geraldine Ferraro

A former congresswoman from New York, she was the last woman with a serious shot at getting into the White House as Walter Mondale's vice-presidential candidate in 1984. But Mondale's campaign imploded. Her finances and those of her husband became an issue in the campaign, which did not help. She went back to New York politics but attempts to win nomination for the New York senate seat failed in 1992, and last year. She has hosted the CNN discussion programme Crossfire.

Eugene McCarthy

The Minnesota senator ran against Lyndon B Johnson in 1968 on an anti- war ticket, contributing to Johnson's decision to pull out of the race (though not from Vietnam). He lost, to Hubert Humphrey. He ran again as an independent, and supported Ronald Reagan. At 82, he can still be seen around downtown Washington.

Walter Mondale

Jimmy Carter's vice-president had, like McCarthy and Humphrey, been senator from Minnesota. When Carter lost, he campaigned as the Democratic candidate in 1984. He re-emerged after Clinton's election as ambassador to Japan.

Michael Dukakis

The bushy-browed Massachusetts governor stood against George Bush in 1988, on the basis of the Massachusetts miracle - its economic regeneration. He made himself look silly in a tank to prove that he was not soft on defence. He was soundly defeated in any case, and by that time the state did not look quite so miraculous. He retired from politics in 1991 to return to the law, and is visiting professor at several universities.

Walter Mondale: envoy