Chuck Schumer knows how to raise money from rich people. It’s why, in part, he was able to claim a Senate seat in New York, outhustling a generation of rivals who may have possessed more talent, vision, and charisma.

Schumer, in one sense, is admirable in that way. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of young Schumers who enter elected office each year, dreaming of prestige and fame. Most get caught in local offices and eventually exit the scene. Ladder-climbing, for most, is a slog, and it’s easy to fall off a rung and never recover.

Since 2015, when Harry Reid named Schumer his successor as leader of the Senate Democrats, it has always seemed like a matter of time before Chuck from Brooklyn joined history. He would be, like the legendary Lyndon B. Johnson, the commander of the United States Senate, invested with extraordinary power to pass legislation, foil enemies, and shepherd the ambitious agenda of a Democratic president into law.