US senate set to produce a president after 50 years

By IANS

Washington : Almost 50 members of the US senate entered the race for president since Senator John F. Kennedy’s successful bid in 1961 but failed. That losing streak is about to end.


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Bot h the Democratic hopefuls left in the tight race are senators – Hillary Clinton (New York) and Barack Obama (Illinois). John Edwards, who withdrew his candidacy in favour of Obama, too, is a senator from Massachusetts.

On the Republican side, John McCain, who has all but secured the nomination, is a four-time senator from Arizona. Mitt Romney, who withdrew from the race following poor showing in the Super Tuesday primaries, was Massachusetts governor. Mike Huckabee, still in the race but trailing far behind, is former governor of Arkansas.

At least 46 senators have entered the battle for White House in the past half a century, some more than once. From them, only five – two Republicans, Bob Dole and Barry Goldwater, and three Democrats, George McGovern, John Kerry and John F. Kennedy – won their party’s nomination. And only Kennedy triumphed, defeating a former senator, Richard Nixon, vice president at the time.

State governors, with the built-in advantage of having run a state, have been more successful in securing the top job in the country. George W. Bush (president from 2001 till his end of term this year) was earlier governor of Texas, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) of Arkansas, Ronald Reagan (1981-89) of California and Jimmy Carter (1977-81) of Goergia.

Other senators who have made it to the White House in the last 50 year s , but as vice president, include Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale, Dan Quayle and Al Gore.

White House observers hold various factors for the difficulties senators face in their presidential bids. The factor include past baggage of too many votes in the House on too many issues; too much legislative jargon and too little executive experience.

But this time, the three senators left in the race are not typical senatorial hopefuls.

Clinton, 60, is the first serious female contender who has spent valuable years as First Lady in the White House and state house in Arkansas.

McCain, 71, is a war hero and a maverick Republican, disliked by many conservatives.

Obama, 46, is the first serious Black candidate hoping to occupy the Oval Office. He has an upbeat message for change and has served only three years in the senate so far.

Senate is the upper house in the US Congress. Each of the 50 states in the country sends two representatives to the senate, irrespective of the population. Population, on the other hand, determines the number of members each state will have in the 435-strong House of Representatives, the lower chamber.

Compared to the two-year terms for representatives, the senators’ six-year terms insulates them from vagaries of public opinion, making the upper house a forum of elite wisdom in Washington D.C.

The senators get impressed by the presidents they see day in and day out, inspiring them to enter the race for the White House, for good or bad.

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