Blunt, Carnahan portraying themselves as outsiders

It seems ironic that U. S. Senate candidates Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan, members of Missouri's two most prominent political families are portraying themselves as outsiders in their campaigns. That irony is explored in an article by Associated Press reporter David Lieb:

"This is a year when people are very unhappy about the direction of the country. They're very unhappy in particular about the performance of government and of Congress," said Dave Robertson, a political scientist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "All candidates are going to try to emphasize that they are not part of the problem, but can contribute to the solutions."
Few candidates face a more interesting challenge in this climate than Missouri's Senate contenders.
The Carnahans and Blunts are the state's versions of the Kennedy political dynasty. During the past half-century, members of the two families have served at almost every level of government — from the local school board to the state Legislature to the Governor's mansion and the U.S. House and Senate.