also-ran aspirant baby kisser bare possibility candidate defeated candidate dud enigma favorite son fighting chance frontier frontiers of knowledge gambling chance hardly a chance hopeful hundred-to-one shot improbability lame duck little chance little opportunity long odds long shot matter of ignorance mystery n off chance office seeker outside chance political hopeful poor bet poor lookout poor possibility poor prospect presidential timber puzzle remote possibility riddle running mate sealed book slim chance small chance stalking-horse terra incognita the incalculable the strange the unfamiliar the unknowable the unknown unexplored ground unexplored territory unknown quantity unlikelihood x z