Although money isn't everything, they say, it is the price of the ticket to the big game. But there were mitigating circumstances. While Thomas has sailed to reelection unopposed, Crane was threatened by a primary bid that, though easily quelled, drained his campaign's pocketbook. Chairmanships are awarded by the party not by your committee, not by people who have business before your committee, and not by how long you manage to stay alive and not get hit by traffic. You're being asked to do something you can do.
Crane counters that the seniority system promotes party cohesiveness.
And minimizing divisions, especially in your own ranks, is, I think, vital. But it's more than that, because our contributors are familiar with Phil Crane. It gives them the sense that there's someone on the inside who's an ACU regular. It works both ways. Of equal concern to Republican members are the stylistic differences between Crane and Thomas.