# Do You Cease to Be an "Outsider" As Soon as You Win an Election? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 3, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860 "2015-09-03T21:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/1 "2015-09-03T21:31:55Z")
When Ted Cruz first ran for the Senate, he was regarded as the Tea Party candidate, boldly standing up to establishment, moderate GOP candidate David Dewhurst. When Marco Rubio first ran for the Senate, he was regarded as the Tea Party candidate, boldly standing up to squishy moderate establishment GOP candidate Charlie Crist. But now that both guys are running for President, a huge chunk of the people who used to like them all seem to have embraced Donald Trump! Looks like, if you ever win any kind of election, you’re now an insider, part of the corrupt system, and can’t be trusted any more. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/2 "2015-09-03T22:24:55Z")
Welcome to the mindset of a large portion of the American electorate. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/3 "2015-09-04T01:03:53Z")
Note that over half of Republicans have as their first choice someone who’s never held elected office. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/4 "2015-09-04T01:47:46Z")
I was thinking the same thing. Is Rand Paul an insider, or is he still an outsider? (An outsider, if you consider his chance of winning the nomination! Haw! Haw!) But the question’s a good one. When _does_ an outsider become an insider? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/5 "2015-09-04T01:50:06Z")
It’s a Catch-22. Obama ran on a platform of change and progress, but…he’s been a Washington politician. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/6 "2015-09-04T14:31:22Z")
I think you lose Outsider status when you run for re-election. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/7 "2015-09-04T15:56:01Z")
You’re an insider when a cigar chomping fat man wearing a top hat hands you a large sack with a dollar sign it. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/8 "2015-09-04T20:10:21Z")
Then surely Donald Trump has always been “inside”? He runs on the premise that he’s been that guy in that top hat. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/9 "2015-09-04T20:39:59Z")
> [@Leo\_Krupe](#): > > Is Rand Paul an insider, or is he still an outsider? I think second generation politicians are automatically insiders. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-cease-to-be-an-outsider-as-soon-as-you-win-an-election/729860/10 "2015-09-05T00:52:10Z")
I think anyone who meets his first President the day he’s born, and his second President the day he’s taken home from the hospital, is an Insider-for-Life.