Winning by Being Boring

National Journal profiles Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL): “The 30-year-old freshman looks like he could play the nice-but-kinda-shy frat boy in a teen movie — and he’s already proven that sometimes being bland is the most politically savvy way to go. He learned this lesson running against one of the loudest and most visible members of Congress: tea-party icon Allen West. By toeing a moderate line, and making his Florida congressional election a referendum of the bomb-throwing Republican, Murphy eeked out one of the closest races in the country.”