Some people will be disappointed that Paul Ryan isn’t running for Senate. It’s hard to get elected president from the House, and many conservatives would love to see Ryan run for president — given the field, as early as this year. Jack Kemp’s lowly status as a House member and persistent refusal to seek higher office was the key reason he couldn’t challenge George Bush and Bob Dole for president in 1988 on something like even terms.

That said, I think Ryan’s reasoning for staying in the House is solid. He is House Budget Committee chairman now, not a backbencher. He is in a good position to advance the reforms he’s been talking about for years. In the Senate, he’d have to rebuild his seniority from scratch. And what if he lost his Senate race? Ryan is in the right place for now.