Why Isn't Durbin the Democrat Senate Leader?

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), the Minority Leader of the Senate and leader of the Senate Democrats, announced earlier this year he wasn't going to seek re-election in the 2016 elections.

This would mean that on January 3, 2017 the Democrats would have to find, and elect, a new leader.

If things were taken from a hierarchical point of view, Sen. Richard Joseph Durbin (D-IL), would've been the next Senate Democrat Leader as the Minority Whip of the Senate. He is, in fact, the 2nd ranked Democrat of the Senate after Reid himself.

However, things don't always follow that point of view. If so, Richard Cheney (George W. Bush's Vice President) would've ran for President in 2008 and Joe Biden. would've automatically jumped into the election this year.

No, instead, the favorite for the position is Sen. Charles Ellis Schumer (D-NY) who is essentially the 3rd ranked Democrat in the Senate after Durbin and Reid.

Experience doesn't always matter for positions of leadership. If it did, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) would've been the Senate Democrat Leader as he has served over 40 years (the most in the entire Senate). However, even if it did, Durbin would beat out Schumer as Durbin has served as Senator since 1997 and Schumer has been serving as Senator since 1999.

Fine, so you are not including their hierarchical rank or their experience. The only major criteria left is party loyalty, right?

Senator Schumer was one of the first Democrats to announce his opposition to the Iran Nuclear Deal, which was negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry, who was a Senator (D-MA) and the Democrat presidential candidate for the 2004 elections. This deal was also made under the leadership of President Barack Obama (D-IL).

Meanwhile, as of the time I'm writing this, Senator Durbin has emerged as the top Senate Democrat to support this deal with Harry Reid remaining undecided.

So with party loyalty, hierarchical rank, and experience not mattering - what really matters for this choice to be the next Senate Democrat Leader? I don't know, but what I do know is that January 3, 2017 coming it is almost certain Sen. Schumer will be the leader of the Democrat Senate with Durbin and Reid already endorsing him. Schumer will go from 3rd ranked to top ranked Senate Democrat, while Durbin will sit on as the 2nd ranked Senate Democrat - the whip of the party - the way he has been since January 3, 2005.