When President Obama first ran in 2008 he
claimed to be an outsider. He cited his African roots and his birth in Hawaii.
He then proceeded to discuss how much of a family man he was. What he forgot to
mention was his service as Junior Senator in Congress from the state of
Illinois. That is a pretty significant connection to Washington. How can
someone be a Washington outsider when they worked in Washington prior to their
election? In this campaign trail, Obama has been unable to use his outsider
label because well, he has been the President of the United States! His service
in Washington now has made him a political insider. So, if people want an
outsider, they should definitely look elsewhere.
The next candidate is Governor Romney.
Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts. Technically speaking, this does not
make him a Washington insider. However, he is certainly not new to politics. As
Governor or Massachusetts he established policies that are closely tied to
Washington. While he may not have physically worked in Washington, he certainly
has built up political connections. Aside from politics, Romney has tried to
connect to the public by saying he is one of them. How can a filthy rich man be
an everyday person on the street? In this regard as well, Romney has failed to
connect to everyday people.
So if you want to vote for a President
that is considered an outsider, vote for Romney. However, if you want to vote
for an individual who is closely connected to the American public, vote for
yourself.
"You can be a rank insider as well as a rank
outsider." -Robert Frost
You make an interesting point that voters look for a candidate who is a Washington outsider. I have never thought of the election in that way because, personally, I want a candidate who has experience in Washington. It is that experience which gives him or her the credibility to run for president. To your point about Romney connecting to everyday people, I understand what you are saying about his wealth interfering with his relation to the average man, but what presidential candidates haven't been wealthy? In this day and age, the only people running for office are those in the upper class because it requires an extremely large amount of money to run a campaign. Further, is it fair to judge a person's character on the amount of money they possess? I believe a person's finances and a person's character are unrelated.
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