To be sure, it's an imperfect correlation - mostly in that those who start on second or third base have a much better chance at a home run. But the point is tha

To be sure, it's an imperfect correlation - mostly in that those who start on second or third base have a much better chance at a home run. But the point is that anyone can, in theory, hit a home run. In most historic cultures, that was not true. To put it in presidential terms, someone like George W Bush becoming president isn't outrageous - he started on third base. But for someone like Barack Obama to become the most politically powerful figure would require an actual revolution in most historical situations.