Clinton stands out from the crowd

By James Coomarasamy BBC News, Washington

Hillary Clinton was always going to be at the centre of the 2008 US presidential campaign.

As the first woman with a real chance of becoming America's commander-in-chief - and the first former first lady running for the White House - the historical possibilities of her candidacy have had little trouble catching the imagination, either in the US or abroad.

But in recent weeks, a funny thing has happened. This already unique candidate has begun to stand out from the crowd even more.