"Congressmen never win the presidency", "(candidate X) isn't a frontrunner". Discuss

[emazur]

"Congressmen never win the presidency", "(candidate X) isn't a frontrunner". Discuss

I was reading an article on Herman Cain where they said he had "no chance" of being elected President b/c he had no experience as an elected official (not that I'm complaining about an article marginalizing Cain). And Ron Paul of course gets the "congressman are never elected president" treatment and you'll get some link that shows elected presidents are dominated by senators and governors.

Why is this? I'm not just talking about Ron Paul here. I can't imagine people looking at a candidate and saying "He's only a congressman? NEXT!". Most people have no goddamn idea of who the person they're voting for is or what he represents, they vote for the image (at least that's what I think, as discussed in this post). I'll bet that at least half the people who voted for Obama didn't know he was a senator, or if they did - what state he represented (+rep to the first person who can give me a link that proves something similar - doesn't even have to be for Obama). "Politics is all bullshit, it's who can talk the best bullshit" - at least one person from the previous link sort of seems to get it.

And what the hell is with all this "so-and-so is a frontrunner", "so-and-so is not" stuff that the media puts out? Can anyone gave me a link (or provide your own explanation) as to how the media dubs someone a frontrunner? Who the hell knew who Obama was back in early '07? What were his poll numbers back then? Did the media dub him a "frontrunner" early on? If so, on what criteria?

 

[KramerDSP]

Worth noting - Ron Paul is often mistaken as being a Senator (partly because of Rand and partly because he is a household name now), so that helps. I think the Representative claim is because Reps only have to win in their district, whereas Senators have to win an entire state.

 

[Gumba of Liberty]

I was reading an article on Herman Cain where they said he had "no chance" of being elected President b/c he had no experience as an elected official (not that I'm complaining about an article marginalizing Cain). And Ron Paul of course gets the "congressman are never elected president" treatment and you'll get some link that shows elected presidents are dominated by senators and governors.

Why is this? I'm not just talking about Ron Paul here. I can't imagine people looking at a candidate and saying "He's only a congressman? NEXT!". Most people have no goddamn idea of who the person they're voting for is or what he represents, they vote for the image (at least that's what I think, as discussed in this post). I'll bet that at least half the people who voted for Obama didn't know he was a senator, or if they did - what state he represented (+rep to the first person who can give me a link that proves something similar - doesn't even have to be for Obama). "Politics is all bullshit, it's who can talk the best bullshit" - at least one person from the previous link sort of seems to get it.

And what the hell is with all this "so-and-so is a frontrunner", "so-and-so is not" stuff that the media puts out? Can anyone gave me a link (or provide your own explanation) as to how the media dubs someone a frontrunner? Who the hell knew who Obama was back in early '07? What were his poll numbers back then? Did the media dub him a "frontrunner" early on? If so, on what criteria?

A congressman does not have to raise as much funding for their campaign as a senator and governor. Since they do not have the fundraising network the MSM does not take them seriously. This is not a problem that Paul has. A good rebuttal to neo-cons and neo-liberals who say that a congressman cannot get elected is "What not Abraham Lincoln, one of your favorite Presidents ever, elected President as a congressman?" Gets 'em every time.

 

[JohnGalt1225]

I always say: "Well until 2008 a black man had never been President."

 

[RileyE104]

Worth noting - Ron Paul is often mistaken as being a Senator (partly because of Rand and partly because he is a household name now), so that helps. I think the Representative claim is because Reps only have to win in their district, whereas Senators have to win an entire state.

Chris Wallace even referred to Ron as 'Senator' once during the debate.

 

[Alawn]

Only 3 sitting senators have ever been elected president. Warren Harding, John Kennedy, and Barack Obama. It's almost always governors and vice presidents.

 

[Fox McCloud]

There's always a first time the maverick upsets the applecart.

 

[james1906]

Chris Wallace even referred to Ron as 'Senator' once during the debate.

I caught that too and wish Ron would have ran with it. "Chris, I'm not a Senator. You must have me confused with my son, but I'll take it as a compliment."

 

[nate895]

Abraham Lincoln was a one-term Congressman who became President many years thereafter. Just sayin'.

 

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

Worth noting - Ron Paul is often mistaken as being a Senator (partly because of Rand and partly because he is a household name now), so that helps. I think the Representative claim is because Reps only have to win in their district, whereas Senators have to win an entire state.

Half the country probably doesn't even know the difference between a representative and a senator, anyway.

 

[KramerDSP]

Only 3 sitting senators have ever been elected president. Warren Harding, John Kennedy, and Barack Obama. It's almost always governors and vice presidents.

Aren't almost all of the Vice-Presidents former Senators?

 

[cindy25]

Aren't almost all of the Vice-Presidents former Senators?

no-Agnew, Ford, Bush, Cheney were not
although LBJ, HHH, Mondale, Quayle, Gore and Biden were.

most Presidents recently , esp 2 term presidents, were governors. Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush Jr.