Reply #12: If you'll recall, President Johnson...

[WillowTree]

....wasn't elected to the presidency as a Senator. He ascended to the presidency when Kennedy was killed and was re-elected in '64. And if he had won the Democratic nomination in 1960, it's questionable whether would have beaten Nixon.

Among the reasons why Governors have historically had more success at being elected to the Presidency than Senators of either party, particularly long-standing Senators, is that they are perceived as being more experienced in executive processes, in running things, whereas Senators' legislative experience doesn't seem to translate in that manner in the minds of many voters. "Senators are debaters, not managers", or some such thing. As we know, that doesn't always hold true.