The United States Senate as a Presidential Incubator: Many are Called but Few are Chosen

Abstract

Walter Bagehot once defined a parliament as nothing less than a big meeting of more or less idle people. In a similar mood one might be tempted to describe the contemporary United States Senate as little more than a halfway house for more or less ambitious presidential contenders. Fortunately, for most senators, for the Congress as an institution, and for the country, in general, the Senate remains much more than just an incubator for presidential aspirants. The overwhelming majority of the senators of both parties continue to pursue their traditional concerns: representing the people of their states; contributing to the resolution of policy issues through investigating and law making; taking care of the needs of their constituents; checking and balancing the other branches of government-in short, engaging in most of the routine activities which primarily define the job of a United States senator and, not too incidently, which enhance their chances for reelection every six years. While it might not be surprising to discover that most senators, at one time or another, entertain a game plan by which their political career culminates in the White House, fewer than one-tenth of the senators will ever act on these hidden ambitions to