Ken dear, how wonderfully naive you are. Naivete is so very attractive in a man.
Observe that nearly all of the world's most beautiful women--who had their pick of the rich and powerful--ended up alone. Beauty is not a guarantee of marital bliss by any means. Not only that, men with beautiful wives are continually visited with the specter of men lusting after their spouses. And who knows when the Senator's lady might capitulate to some tall, dark Ambasador, corporate exec, or, horrors, another Senator.
That makes for a stressful marital environment.
As to Linda's rise to the top of the lobbying ladder, maybe she called on clients wearing her Miss SD tiara and sash? LOL.