Throwing the Bums Out

How a small-town businessman sparked an anti-incumbency movement in Pennsylvania--and what it means for national politics.

Shira Toeplitz from the December 2006 issue

(Page 16 of 16)

/p> p>And beyond Pennsylvania? Some observers, including Diamond himself, are skeptical that the PA CleanSweep movement could ever be copied. Cook notes that a strong anti-incumbency wave has yet to blossom this year on a national scale. But other experts, such as Madonna, do see some anti-incumbency trends in their polling. We’ve already watched the Iraq war spark a revolt among Connecticut Democrats, bringing disaffected voters out in droves to deny the 18-year incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman his party’s nomination. On the right, the conservative Club for Growth has denied several sitting Republicans the GOP ’s support. o:p> /o:p> /p> p>By creating a brand for his candidates and marketing PA CleanSweep as a synonym for reform, Diamond offered an alternative to the status quo and launched an army of political novices on a journey to the state Capitol. Don’t be surprised if you see more angry organizers following in his footsteps. o:p> /o:p> /p>

Shira Toeplitz is a staff writer for The Hotline, published by National Journal.

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