Tea Party Republican Sharron Angle is both outgoing and controversial. She gained a lot of attention for herself in the 2010 U.S. Senate primaries against establishment Republicans endorsed by the party machine.
Both traits probably hurt her in the general election against incumbent Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2010. But they are just the right mix for someone contemplating a run for the U. S. House of Representatives.
House Reps need to be partisan, outspoken, and specific when they run for office in their local constituencies. Because of its apportionment based on population, the House of Representatives is a better register for the individual and parochial passions of the United States. In contrast, Senators must consider the needs of their states, not just local constituencies. They must persuade and represent a wider, more inclusive electorate.
The Framers of the Constitution designed Congress as a bicameral legislature with this dichotomy in mind. Partisan interests would percolate in the House of Representatives, then a more elite body of legislators would cool off heated populism, which would produce tempered legislation for the President to sign.
Though Mrs. Angle's heated temperament may have eventually suited itself to the more august body of the Senate, she will be a perfect fit for the House of Representatives. Her outspoken views, radical in their urgency for fundamental reform, will enjoy more currency in the House of Representatives. She may even take on a leadership role, like Tea Party Chairman Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota).
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