Back in 2009, she was an obvious front-runner for 2012.
Young Hungarian auteur László Nemes' brutal and heartrending Holocaust drama Son of Saul is an obvious front-runner for the Foreign Language award.
BlackRock and Pimco are obvious front-runners for the job, as is a group led by Invesco and its affiliate WL Ross & Co. Wilbur Ross says the group is determined to invest up to $1 billion in the PPIP program.
An obvious front runner to replace is Seamus Mallon, who leads the party in the assembly and has been around almost as long as Hume.
In a year that brought us vuvuzelas (the dronelike plastic horns at the World Cup in South Africa) and mama grizzlies (Sarah Palin's cadre of fierce women in the midterm elections), there's no obvious front-runner in the sweepstakes for WOTY (pronounced "WOE-tee").
Rafi Naabzada, from Mazar-i-Sharif, is the obvious front-runner with his smooth good looks and pop-star manners.
In seasons past, there were obvious front-runners: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia Barrino, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks.
Mr. Crudo, a former Republican school board member, said he won't make any commitments about running for mayor right now though some party leaders said he was the obvious front-runner.
Mini pop queen Kylie Minogue is an obvious front-runner - maybe in a duet with her sister Dannii.
Those who looked for an Elizabethan character in the story pointed to Daenerys, but Martin is not the kind of writer to have the obvious front-runner and crowd favorite win it all (just ask Ned, Robb, Catelyn and Oberyn).
Mattingly has been described as the front runner for the position by multiple national media outlets.
