Dr. BARBARA O'CONNOR (California State University): If they are capable of going out on the stump on their own, they do sort of extend the legs of a campaign by able to be in a different state from their husband.

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In addition to the championships under his belt, O'Neal has a Bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA he received in 2005.

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"This is the first step in his comeback as a viable candidate, " says Barbara O'Connor, who teaches politics and media at California State University, Sacramento.

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