ABSTRACT
Woodrow Wilson's description of Walter Bagehot as the representative example of a Literary Politician, one who has the genius to see deep into affairs, and the discretion to keep out of them, is not entirely accurate given Bagehots four attempts at running for Parliament. Bagehot first ran for Parliament in 1860, when, according to William Irvine, he lost the London University seat by four votes (6465). Alastair Buchan reports a slightly different version. He contends that family and work obligations held him from pressing his claim and the nomination passed elsewhere (140). In 1865, Bagehot failed to win election for a seat in Manchester; in 1866, he ran for and lost the seat representing Bridgwater, a borough in his home county. He did run for a London University seat in 1867, but again lost the election. When asked to stand for Liverpool in 1873.
