It seems quite possible, although the 2008 election is 23 months away, that our next president could come from the U.S. Senate -- something that has not happened since 1960.
You could assume from a superficial glance that the United States Senate would be prime breeding ground for the Oval Office. But there are several reasons why in the 20th century only Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy went from the Senate to the White House.
Senators rarely have an opportunity to demonstrate individual leadership -- practically a prerequisite in American politics. This fact alone has given governors, generals and even vice presidents an advantage.
Senators, especially after their initial election, rarely face difficult re-elections. This, too, cuts against the presidential grain especially in today's rough-and-tumble world of politics, which is a rung below being officially classified as a contact sport. In fact, a senator who faces a tough re-election is usually regarded as having been ineffective on some level.
But perhaps the most compelling reason is a senator's record. With many pieces of legislation and the accompanying riders, it is quite possible over time for a senator to ignorantly flip-flop, contradict and seemingly support positions antithetical to their espoused convictions.
That said, 2008 could represent the best chance a senator has had in 49 years to go directly from the legislative to the executive branch. Therefore, it might serve to examine how the last senator achieved that which has eluded his fraternity brothers and sisters.
Nick Bryant, in his recent book, The Bystander: John F. Kennedy and the Struggle for Black Equality, comprehensively chronicles JFK's handling of race relations, beginning with his initial run for the House of Representatives in 1946.
After his upset victory over popular Massachusetts incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge for the Senate in 1952, Kennedy won a convincing victory over token opposition in 1958. At that point, he began focusing on the White House. Given that Kennedy needed the support of northern blacks and southern segregationists, his senatorial career was one of appealing to both factions in a manner that would have made Machiavelli proud.
He voted in favor of the 1956 Civil Rights legislation, but in the same bill, also voted to strike down the most important plank to blacks and not coincidentally the most egregious to southern segregationist.
Everything that Kennedy did regarding race, from hiring blacks in his Senate office to subscribing to black newspaper to the Senate committees he chaired, was based on his laser-like focus on running for president.
The result of his shrewdness robbed him of the ability to honestly tell the American people why he was running for president, for the answer most assuredly would have been "because."
"Because" may be a great retort to the philosophical question, "why." But it is hardly a prudent response for desiring to be the next commander in-chief. Though Kennedy had a much more eloquent answer, his actions in particular on racial matters were reduced to that amorphous word so often used by children to explain the unexplainable.
This is the high wire act every senator must face if they are serious about becoming the next president. In 2004, John Kerry failed miserably at trying to live in the world of nuance -- maintaining his support of his vote authorizing the president to use force, but distinguishing his differences without appearing inconsistent.
Every incumbent senator will be forced to make tough votes, cut deals and live with having to explain such decisions. This is why someone like former Sen. John Edwards would be in an advantageous position should he decide to run.
As a former senator, he has the luxury to speculate how he would vote on controversial issues. Moreover, he has already publicly apologized for his vote in support of the president's use of force in Iraq.
But with so many senators as contenders potentially in the race, especially on the Democratic side, and so few governors along with the importance the 2008 race will place on foreign affairs, it appears that for senators harboring presidential ambitions, it may be now or never.
Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or leave a message at (510) 208-6417. Send a letter to the editor to soundoff@angnewspapers.com.