When was the last time a senator was Prez - from either party?

[patricia92243]

I don't know - does anybody else?

[JI7]

1. kennedy

john kennedy

[displacedtexan]

3. Johnson was elected in 1964

see below

[bearfartinthewoods]

13. the last time we ran one......

[leyton]

22. Wasn't McGovern a Senator?

Although his loss is probably not attributable only to that, if to that at all.

[Jacobin]

4. Yep. Wasn't LBJ a senator, though?

He got to be prez through JFK having been assasinated

[JI7]

8. but he was vice president

i'm assuming the poster was asking about someone who was senator when elected president which was not the case with johnson, and nixon.

[displacedtexan]

2. I just posted the last time we elected a two-senator ticket...

Kennedy/ Johnson- both senators

Clinton no
Bush no
Reagan no
Carter no
Ford no
Nixon no
Johnson... He's the last, I think.

[JI7]

7. but johnson was vice president

i'm assuming the poster meant someone who was elected straight from senator. but yes, johnson was senator, and nixon was senator also. but both served as vice presidents before being elected president.

[hlthe2b]

9. Correction: Nixon was elected to the US Senate , Ford was not...

In 1950 Nixon was elected to the US Senate. He won his candidate partly because of his attacks on his opponent of Helen Douglas claiming that her voting record in the House corresponded with the goals of the communist party.

[displacedtexan]

15. Sorry. You're right about Nixon.

n/t

[leyton]

23. Yeah but when he was elected

it was from the Vice-Presidency (Eisenhower) and a previous run for President (1960).

[hlthe2b]

5. Well, let's see

Kennedy was, Johnson was, Ford Was, Nixon was....

On edit, Ford was Congressman and minority leader of the House-- not Senator

[MaineDem]

6. Wasn't Ford a Congressman?

I know it's early but I think he wasn't a Senator.

[hlthe2b]

10. Yes, You're right... Ford was House Minority Leader, never a Senator

So, I guess the last to be President and also a Senator was Nixon?

[hlthe2b]

11. Last elected directly from Senate would be JFK, but Nixon

was the last to serve as President, who had also served in the Senate.

[incapsulated]

12. It's been tough for sitting Senators

They are first: too familiar. People seem to want a "fresh face" for President. And second: painted with the dread "washington insider" tag, regardless of their record.

[patricia92243]

14. My next question is WHY do senators not get elected? Seems like the

"fresh face" doesn't seem a very strong argument - most people don't even know who the senator of their own state is.

[incapsulated]

16. Well, as I said

They get the old "Washington Insider" treatment. And the Senators that run usually are recognizable by voters, they are generally the most senior and visible.

Since Regan, there has been a measurable decline in the lack of respect for those in the House and Senate, due mainly to the rethug tactic of painting them all as worthless do-nothings, obstrutors. People like their own representives, but everyone else is a jerk. This has had the effect, I believe, of making it difficult for a sitting Senator to run.

[leyton]

24. They don't get nominated much.

If I recall correctly, in recent history, only five Senators have been nominated: Kennedy, Goldwater, McGovern, and Dole. So one in four... and the other three were running against strong incumbents.

[beaconess]

25. And you said it so well

[gmoney]

17. Some say they don't get elected...

Some say senators and congressmen have a tough time getting elected because they have to "play it safe" in their campaigns since they DON'T want to lose their day job in case the presidential thing doesn't pan out. They don't want to make enemies or burn bridges either because they'll have to go back to the usual "playing politics" if they lose.

Governors, in general, have much less to lose politically if they get aggressive in their campaigns, because they can return to state level politics without as many repercussions from campaign rhetoric.

Just recalling something I'd heard.

[incapsulated]

18. Although there is some truth to this

I'm sure it effects the campaigns somewhat but when was the last time a risk-taker with unconventional ideas was elected either?

Gore was hardly "out there" and he had nothing to lose. But he won the popular vote.

:shrug:

[lazarus]

19. Why Senators have a tought time getting elected

Primarily, it's because being a Senator is all about mastering the art of compromise. "I'll vote for your bill if you'll vote for mine." Well, that's great, you got your bill passed, but in the meantime, there's a vote for that other bill floating out there, and in ten years it's going to look suspicious all by itself.

Governors have to do some compromising, but they can have their party in the legislature do most of it, removing them a step or two.

[baby_bear]

21. Edwards hasn't been in office long enough to get that tarnish

Seems to me that if the argument is for a fresh face, he'd win hands down.

I don't know of anything that has distinguished him in the Senate. That's not a bash or anything -- just an observation that he's basically an unknown, similar to Dean, for most people (relative to Lieberman or Kerry, or even Kucinich or Sharpton).

s_m

[beaconess]

26. Edwards has distinguished himself in the Senate in his short time there

Among other things:

1. Sponsored the Patients' Bill of Rights

2. Although he'd only been in the Senate a few weeks, he was a key defender in the Clinton impeachment trial, using his vast lawyering skills to handle the depositions and other matters.

3. Exemplary performance on the Judiciary Committee. It doesn't get a lot of publicity, but he has blocked - sometimes singlehandedly while getting bashed in North Carolina for it - bad judges and been instrumental in keeping the Democrats together on the nominations filibusters. He is so good that in 2002, after the Dems losing the Senate would have meant that he lost his seat on the Committee, civil rights, women's, disability, and environmental groups begged Daschle to disregard the seniority rules and keep him on the Committee. He did.

[spooky3]

28. excellent, informative post--thanks, B!

[spooky3]

29. that's a very good point--hadn't thought of that

[incapsulated]

20. Another thing..

Governors have the ability to tout their "executive experience" and leadership ability. They can take sole credit (usually undeserved, btw) for a lot of things that a Senator can only say he "voted for".

[spooky3]

27. GHW Bush's highest pre-Pres. elected office was a Rep.

He was defeated in Senate runs.