Reply #221: Senators do better in open elections, and I think it's obvious why. [View All]

[1932]

When you're running against a president, it helps to look like you've run something to on an executive level. The only thing remotely close to running the US is running a state. Senators running against presidents look like subordinates running against their boss. Governors aren't subordinate to presidents. In fact, they sort of have their own fiefdoms.

But in an open election, it's two people who were never president running against each other. In that case, neither the governor nor the senator has ever been president, so people aren't so concerned with whether a senator is more prestigious than a governor. Both have won statewide elections. Both have serious jobs. In fact, Senators generally have better name recognition than a lot of governors.