Candidate types, for legislative seats in the U.S., roughly from best to worst

glennmagusharvey

* Hard-working/charismatic campaigner who connects well with locals and does tons of outreach and has very good constituent services (if incumbent), and also diligent fundraiser.
* Hard-working/charismatic campaigner who connects well with locals but not good at fundraising.
* Partisan ideologue on the side of the district's political lean.  Likely to be able to bring in money for this.
* Good fundraiser, boring person.
* Non-corruption-scandal-tarred incumbent.
* Corruption-scandal-tarred incumbent.
* Carpetbagging politician.
* Partisan ideologue against the side of the district's lean.
* Perennial (but sane) candidate.
* Scandal-tarred challenger.
* Warm body, a.k.a. "some dude".
* Lunatic.

Obā-san

did you just in ironically use the term carpetbagger

Tachyon

Wikipedia claims it means the same thing as parachute candidate at present, although given its history it's a term i wouldn't use.

glennmagusharvey

:3 said:

did you just in ironically use the term carpetbagger

It's commonly used in political circles to describe someone who goes into someplace new to run for office.

The most prominent person to recently get this term used on them was Hillary Clinton, while running to represent NY in the Senate.  But she's certainly not the only or even most recent one.

Republican Alex Mooney, a former Maryland state senator, is now a representative of West Virginia's 2nd district in the U.S. House.

Republican Pam Galloway, a former Wisconsin state senator, is now running to represent Indiana's 3rd district.

Former Democrat and currently Republican Artur Davis, a former representative from Alabama, once considered running for Virginia's 10th district.

These are the more glaring examples, but the term is even sometimes used to refer to people who run in a district where their home is not located, even if state laws allow that.

glennmagusharvey

OpAPHID said:

Wikipedia claims it means the same thing as parachute candidate at present, although given its history it's a term i wouldn't use.

Strangely enough, despite the Civil War being political flamebait that has still not quite died down, the term seems to be used without much baggage by political observers.

Then again, these are political observers, who are used to all sorts of crazy emotions and inflammatory speech being flung every which way.  Not much one can do other than just observe, make note, and move on.  The people who get caught up in these emotions and inflammatory remarks tend to be the ones who get stuck in the trees and can't see the forest anyway.

Obā-san

I see then

Corvina

glennmagusharvey said:

:3 said:

did you just in ironically use the term carpetbagger

It's commonly used in political circles to describe someone who goes into someplace new to run for office.

The most prominent person to recently get this term used on them was Hillary Clinton, while running to represent NY in the Senate.  But she's certainly not the only or even most recent one.

Republican Alex Mooney, a former Maryland state senator, is now a representative of West Virginia's 2nd district in the U.S. House.

Republican Pam Galloway, a former Wisconsin state senator, is now running to represent Indiana's 3rd district.

Former Democrat and currently Republican Artur Davis, a former representative from Alabama, once considered running for Virginia's 10th district.

These are the more glaring examples, but the term is even sometimes used to refer to people who run in a district where their home is not located, even if state laws allow that.

Have you ever heard the story of Fred Tuttle?

glennmagusharvey

Corvina said:

Have you ever heard the story of Fred Tuttle?

Now I have, and that sounds awesome.

Sredni Vashtar

I would have voted for that man. He sounds like the best person.