Are you implying that neither Mark Begich nor Kay Hagan ever will be president? : )
But seriously, losing a big election seems to have become a prerequisite for eventually being elected president. Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election (allegedly) and the 1962 CA gubernatorial election; Carter finished *third* in the 1966 Democrat primary for GA governor; Reagan lost the 1976 GOP presidential nomination; Bush 41 lost the 1964 and 1970 U.S. Senate elections in TX and the 1980 GOP presidential nomination; Clinton lost a U.S. House race in 1974 and lost reelection as AR governor in 1980; Bush 43 lost a U.S. House race in 1978; and Obama lost the 2000 Democrat primary for a U.S. House seat in 2000.
Indeed, indeed.
None of them lost as incumbent though save Clinton in 1980, by 4 points, followed by an immediate comeback in ‘82. His narrow loss for Congress in a GOP district in ‘74 actually bolstered his then non-existent profile. Bush’s loss in ‘78 was ancient history when he was elected Governor.
Obama was curbstomped by Rush but that was before he was jammed down our throats as the next big thing.
For an a seasoned incumbent Senator to lose by 17 points is a stunning rebuke, and polls showed him losing a rematch. To go from that to President would be a hell of a comeback.
Re Hanna: Boy do I regret touting him in 2010 (based on his near win in 2008). One of the worst (or maybe THE worst) Republicans in the House, in any district, let alone a Republican-leaning one.