Another one of the interesting points of this election is that the front runners in both parties are US Senators.

Americans very rarely elect Senators as President. I guess the last winning Senator was John F Kennedy in 1960, which was a very close election - the pivotal state in that election being Illinois.

And before that it was Herbert Hoover in the 1920s.

Interestingly, historians write that most senators naturally look to taking the Oval Office because it is really the only promotion left to get in the world of politics. The Senate is often described as a place inhabited by one hundred people all seeking to become the next President of the United States.

Perhaps because senators only stand for election every six years, but most Senators seem out of touch to the people in the other 49 states. Now when Kennedy was elected President, he had only carpetbagged as New York senator for a couple of years. Clinton and Obama similarly have pretty short tenures. That's probably a benefit for them.

Senators who have lots of tenure are the ones who look out of touch. On their own turf, they are Number One, and their heads have swelled to the size of the planet Jupiter. Note how Senators Joe Biden or Chris Dodd honestly thought for a period of time that they were serious contenders for President. On the Republican side, Orrin Hatch wasted everyone time thinking he could win as President back in 2000. This is the downfall of many politicians - they surround themselves with Yes men, never a trusted No man.

I'm a McCain supporter, but I suspect that his twenty three year tenure and attitude as a US Senator will be his worst liability.

Steve