The mail.(Letter to the Editor)

While Christopher DeMuth makes some interesting arguments in "Governors (and Generals) Rule" (January/February), it is absolutely ludicrous that he justifies his viewpoint with the statement that of the three Presidents who came from legislative backgrounds, "none was re-elected." Two of the three "legislator" Presidents (Harding and Kennedy) died in office, and it is because of illness or assassination that they only served one term. Therefore, it seems extremely deceitful and manipulative that DeMuth would choose not to note this irregularity, and instead merely use Harding and Kennedy's one-term Presidencies as statistics that somehow suggest that legislators are inherently less able to win re-election.

Tyler Allard

Princeton, New Jersey

One thing should be added to Christopher DeMuth's list of factors that favor state governors over federal legislators in running for President: political patronage. Governors appoint hundreds (and in some states thousands) to state offices, boards, and commissions, and they award millions in contracts and other benefits. Legislators have very limited powers of patronage. This provides governors with an immediate, substantial, and loyal fundraising base from which to launch and sustain a campaign.

Michael Johnson

Los Angeles, California

Christopher DeMuth responds: It is juvenile for Tyler Allard to use such harsh language to make such a small point. My article skimmed over many details that do not affect its general argument; they are discussed for aficionados in the longer version and appendix posted on TAE's Web site (www.TAEmag.com). And his point is wrong. Three military leaders, two governors, and one statesman also died or were assassinated while President (three during their first terms and all before the Twenty-second Amendment). Removing all of them plus the two legislators from the re-election numbers, or spotting all of them an unearned re-election, would strengthen, not weaken, the pattern of governor-and-general dominance that I described without tweaking the numbers.