Pelosi: Retire or Stay on as Minority Leader? [View All]

[Bucky]

Two thoughts here. One is, "Americans love a winner." When someone loses a big election or goes out on a sour note, the current behavioral norm is to go silent for a while and then re-emerge as an elder statesman once the shame of losing rubs off. Recent examples include Newt Gingrich, Al Gore, Poppy Bush, and a surprisingly quick rehab time for Eliot Spitzer.

One recent exception is John McCain, who's following the old model of "it's all business and I'm still the leader 'round here, boys." The standard was set back in the 1940s & 50s when Sam Rayburn and Joe Martin kept trading off the job. (Rayburn was speaker three times; Martin two).