Posted by
KsReaganite on Sunday, November 09, 2008 12:00:00 AM
Since the turn of the twentieth century, sitting members of Congress have done badly at presidential elections. In fact, only two incumbent members of Congress have been elected president since WWII: John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, both Democrats.
It is not exactly a conincidence. Republicans claim to belong to the party of federalism and smaller government. It is darn tough to make the case against Washington's overreach and a bloated federal bureaucracy when you are perceived to be a permanent part of the Washington establishment yourself. Senators Barry Goldwater, Robert Dole, John McCain can all attest to that sad but truism. Successful Republican candidates come from the ranks of governors like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush or from the from the ranks of prominent national security stars like Dwight D. Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush (granted, the latter was also the Vice President).
Memo to the GOP looking at 2012: forget senators, no matter how much they appear or claim to be the presumptive nominee. The place to find the challenger to King Barack I will be in places like St. Paul, Baton Rouge, Austin, and Columbia, SC.