Good points.
Of course, the ones who "come up through the ranks" are the ones we recruit and send. It's up to all of us. Your reply seemed to infer a bit, at least to me, that these people pop up spontaneously like weeds and we have to deal with what we're given.
Maybe I'm too idealistic.
I know, I know. Imply, not infer.
Thanks.
Those who come up from the ranks have to please those who run the party. Obama had to please the rank and file Democrats who run the party. He HAD to have kissed some butt and play the puppet for a while to get where he is.
That means that those who DO come up have to WANT to serve, WANT all the hoopla, WANT the power, fame, whatever. They ARE recuited, I suppose, but they have to REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to bloom and grow from the get-go just to get local recognition. So, by the time they get national recognition, as in a Senator, you KNOW that they want it REALLY, REALLY, REALLY badly.
Obama fits the profile the Dems want, he wants BADLY and both entities are well served. So, in THAT sense, we ARE stuck with those who decide that they want to run and serve. They simply have to meet their party's criteria for being "winnable" and maleable.
That's MY read on it.