Reply #30: It's a Fairly Common Way of Describing an Underdog in a Political Fight

[CorpGovActivist]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/insurgent

Howard Dean's upstart bid for the Democratic nod in 04 was described as an insurgent bid for the nomination: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=insurgent+howard+dean

Newt Gingrich has been described as the once-and-future insurgent in the GOP: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=gingrich+insurgent

Ned Lamont could - very aptly - be described as having mounted an "insurgent" bid (taking on the establishment candidate in the primaries), and he mounted that surprise bid on an anti-war platform.

Teddy Roosevelt mounted an insurgent bid for the nom, going so far as to form the Bull Moose Party: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_moose_party

If we allow Karl Rove and the GOP machine to rob and cheapen our political vocabulary, and make certain words taboo, we'll see a whole new set of words become "dirty," like "liberal".

I think in fairness, the journalist meant to refer to Lamont favorably, by making dual note of his surprising success - and of the fact that his success was due in no small part to his vocal anti-war stance. I don't think the journalist meant to lump him in with IED planters in Iraq.

- Dave