Who would have thought that a black, first term senator, former community organizer with a radical, leftist background and no record of achievement would be elected twice by the the highest vote totals in US history? Was there any historical precedent for that?
All U.S. Presidents, every single one of them, has first served in one of six positions: vice-president; governor; senator; representative; general; cabinet secretary.
Eisenhower? Grant? Washington? Lincoln only had two years in the House.
Did you notice I listed "general" as one of the six gateway positions?