And so the electorate was asked to contemplate the extraordinary spectacle of a Labour-Liberal Democrat "Losers' Alliance".
But these left room to contemplate the extraordinary plasticity of the quartet's sound that sometimes grew from slender to luscious within a single phrase.
For one thing, we are contemplating an extraordinary opening of our country at a time when 22 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed.
Since November 2011, when he was captured trying to flee Libya, Saif al-Islam has had plenty of time to contemplate his extraordinary life.
The United States is facing fiscal uncertainty, and its powerful central bank is contemplating easing its extraordinary stimulus efforts, with potentially global ramifications.
In contrast to Tony Soprano, Nucky is no ruthless gang boss, but a man who preaches caution yet contemplates taking an extraordinary risk.
It was wounding, for many, to contemplate Henry's extraordinary successes as man of affairs, historian, writer and informal consultant to the high and the mighty.
In recent days, Murdoch has concluded that he could probably not bring off a takeover of Time Warner at this point, but the mere fact that he contemplated it is testimony to his extraordinary bravado.
Professor Stephen Hopper, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: "The success we are celebrating today is extraordinary and on a scale never before contemplated in global biodiversity conservation.
While defending the company for seeking Mr. Letterman, Mr. Iger said it was only for so extraordinary a talent that any change for "Nightline" was being contemplated.
Mr Schama's list is the list of exceptionalisms that most people would probably draw up when contemplating this vast and extraordinary continent: its military might, its religious fervour, its immigration-shaped ethnic variety, its staggering abundance.Cleverly, Mr Schama seems to pair each of these active forces with its equal and opposite reaction.
