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There is no "trend" of Senators being elected directly to the White House. There was Jackson, Benjamin Harrison, Harding, and Kennedy.
Monroe was Secretary of State before he became President.
Adams was Secretary of State before he became President.
Van Buren was VP before he became President.
William Harrison was elected President a full twelve years after he left the senate, serving as Minister to Colombia and running a failed Presidential campaign in the interim. When he was elected, it was on his war record, not his senate record.
Tyler was VP before he became President.
Pierce was a general after he was a senator and before he became President.
Buchanan was Secretary of State and Minister to Great Britain before he became President.
Johnson was VP before he became President.
Truman was VP before he became President.
Johnson was VP before he became President.
Nixon was VP before he became President.
The true historical trend seems to be that of senators becoming Vice President before assuming the Presidency. This may be Sen. Obama's path, since I think many Democrats will conclude that he's too inexperienced to become President but that they'd like him to be President eventually, and he's young enough that he could easily run in 2016.
As far as Sen. Clinton is concerned, the support she's already garnered is all the support she's ever going to have. She's way too well known of a commodity to have any real up side.
Gen. Clark, on the other hand, is still an unknown commodity. He could surprise.
My dream ticket right now would be Gore/Obama. Gore fits historical trends for actually winning the Presidency and having Obama as VP would create new historical trends that would allow the "white male" trend you mentioned to be broken.
On another note, I would love to see a woman elected President, but I would prefer it be a woman who is running on her own accomplishments rather than her husband's. She just reminds me of all the officers' spouses I've encountered who think being married to a general makes them one.
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