there was a frontrunner when he got elected. s'why I'm suggesting something differently. but, that alone isn't necessarily enough, so let's go thru elections in my lifetime at least.

1. Hillary Clinton frontrunner before primary. won nomination. lost general.

2. Obama incumbent president. no primary.

3. Hillary frontrunner before primary. Obama won primary. then won general.

4. Kerry frontrunner before primary. won nomination. lost general.

2000 Gore frontrunner before primary. won nomination. lost general (albeit barely)

1996 Bill Clinton incumbent president.

1. no frontrunner before primary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_presidential_primaries,_1992

As a result of Bush's high popularity, and fearing a high likelihood of defeat in the 1992 general election, several high-profile Democratic candidates such as Mario Cuomo and Jesse Jackson refused to seek the Democratic nomination for president. Senator (later Vice-President) Al Gore declined to seek the nomination because his son was struck by a car and was undergoing extensive surgery as well as physical therapy.

Clinton won the primary. won the general.

so, with all of that...

so far, at least in my lifetime, every single time we've had a non-incumbent frontunner Democratic nominee going into the primary... they have lost the election.

the two Democratic Presidents that got elected, at least in my lifetime, were not the frontrunner before the primary.

so

I'm... just suggesting... maybe... try what's worked in the last 30 years.