Brownbacked Out

Posted at 8:53 am on Thursday, October 18, 2007, in Uncategorized, and tagged 2008.

You’ve probably read this already, or heard this, or even seen this (ah, the information age, even a blog is too slow): Senator Sam Brownback will be dropping out of the already crowded race for the GOP nomination. He probably knew he wasn’t getting anywhere, especially since former Senator Fred Thompson has joined the fray, however lackadaisical Thompson’s candidacy has been since. There is only room for so many to claim as being the “true conservative” in a room of true conservatives. (The debate gets tired, quickly.)

There is a down-side to this, however, and it is not because I supported Brownback (I don’t; he is a religious idealogue, and I’m a pagan; we do not mix). It is further evidence of how difficult it is — although he has always been considered a long-shot contender — to run for president as a sitting senator. The last successful candidacy from a sitting senator was that of John F. Kennedy, and let’s just say, that didn’t turn out so well in the long run. (I admit, that was tactless. Alas, this is a blog, and no one really reads it anyway.)

Is this further proof of the tough road ahead for John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Christopher Dodd? Maybe. Hillary Clinton? Maybe not. With responsibilities to make political votes in the Capitol, which may be ill-timed for election politics, issue by issue (think: warrantless wiretapping, abortion, funding for the Iraq war), there is clearly a distinct disadvantage of being in Washington and running for president at the same time. John Edwards has no job. Either does Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson. In other words, they do not have to put their money where there mouth is. They can dispel political rhetoric on the campaign trail, and not have to follow it up with critical votes in Washington.

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