Jennifer Donahue, on Outsiders

By on October 21, 2009 in

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Carol Shea-Porter, not an outsider:

“She’s not really viewed by most people as an activist or an outsider,” said Jennifer Donahue, political director for The New Hampshire Institute of Politics. “She’s part of the establishment, and I think she faces more scrutiny than before.”

Kelly Ayotte and Sarah Palin – outsiders:

She’s smart, she’s connected, but she has never run for statewide office before. She is liked by the Republican establishment, and has worked as AG for both Republican Governor Craig Benson, and Democratic Governor John Lynch.

She may not be a professional politician, and neither is Palin (wink, nod.) But they have something many of their male counterparts may not. They are outsiders. They have a different perspective. Sotomayor put it on the record: a perspective different than that of white males.

Like Obama, they don’t have to talk the talk of change. They are change.

Is there anything bereft of data she won’t say to get in print or the TeeVee?

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  • Kathy Sullivan 2

    I think you caught Jennifer in flagrant inconsistency. Sarah Palin was a mayor, a governor – but she is “an outsider”, even after being a vp nominee, but CSP is part of the establshment for serving 3 years in congress?  What is the difference between the two? Oh, right, Republican and Democrat.

     

  • elwood

    than upstart activists?

    Am other St Anselm stuff in Bizarro World too?

  • Douglas E. Lindner

    CSP is “part of the establishment”? She’s an insider? Donahue is dropping a bombshell by making the shocking accusation that a Congresswoman running for her third term might already be in office.

    This is the kind of revelation that Changes Everything!

    • FrankLloydMike

      These words, like so many printed and said by the media now, are meaningless. What is an outsider? What is an insider? Is Barney Frank an insider? Is Mitt Romney an outsider? The degree to which these words are without meaning and the prevalence with which they are used and purported to hold meaning is beyond frustrating.

      Besides, as a white male, though probably of a different political persuasion than those to whom Ms. Donnahue refers, I can tell you that Ms. Palin and Ayotte represent the exact same perspective of the white males to which Ms. Donnahue refers. Barack Obama represents a change not because of his race (though certainly that is a change from his predecessors), but because his views and approach are generally different than his predecessors in many respects. Ahhh!

  • kdhalloran

    Probably because most of what I hear and read from today’s Jennifers don’t make any sense.  Carol Shea-Porter is a patriot who carries the US Constitution in her pocket, and she lives by it and works for it. I don’t live or vote in her district, but I feel she represents me, too.  This “outsider” doesn’t care what an Jennifer says about whether he’s in or out, so be it.  She’s MY insider – and the Jennifers, you’re NOT!  

    • susanthe

      is a respected front page blogger here at BH. Careful with that broad brush.  

      • Jack Mitchell
        • kdhalloran

          … I was referring to the Jennifer “Tort Tort” Horn – the one who still owes $250,000 from her last losing campaign for Congress NH-2

  • elwood

    Being a Benson protege is about as outside as you can get, these days. Sort of like being a Blagojevich protege in Illinois.