Outsiders Who Really Aren’t

Interesting story from the New York Times today about candidates portraying themselves as outsiders, and their opponents as Washington insiders, even if they’re members of Congress.

There are too many examples to get into here, but it’s worth sharing because Linda Lingle has been making political hay out of Mazie Hirono’s voting history, while Hirono has been pretty quiet about her six years in Congress. An excerpt from the Times:

Bragging about one’s voting record used to be a staple of political advertising, and a career in Congress was worn as a badge of honor. But this year, many House candidates are deciding not to mention their service here, a blunt acknowledgment of the dim view that a vast majority of voters have of Congress.

In acts of great creativity, or profound chutzpah, some members, former and current, are shrouding their jobs with fuzzy images of cute children back home or tales of their private sector jobs. Where incumbents are being challenged by former members, the sitting members of Congress are painting their opponents as consummate insiders.

Read the full New York Times article: Running as Outsiders, With a Catch: They’re In

— Michael Levine