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From Shailagh Murray at the WaPo:

Maybe Democratic candidate Michael Arcuri is running strong in this Republican House district because he pledges to expand health coverage, balance the budget and raise the minimum wage.

Or maybe it's his piercing Italian eyes and runner's physique.

"He is pretty good-looking," observed Paula Ferrin with admiration, as the 47-year-old district attorney worked the crowd at a local senior center.

"What we want is brains, honey," scolded her friend Rose Oliver.

"True," Ferrin answered, "but handsome doesn't hurt."

The research is unambiguous that Ferrin is right: Attractive politicians have an edge over not-so-attractive ones. The phenomenon is resonating especially this year. By a combination of luck and design, Democrats seem to be fielding an uncommonly high number of uncommonly good-looking candidates.

The beauty gap between the parties, some on Capitol Hill muse, could even be a factor in who controls Congress after Election Day.

Democratic operatives do not publicly say that they went out of their way this year to recruit candidates with a high hotness quotient. Privately, however, they acknowledge that, as they focused on finding the most dynamic politicians to challenge vulnerable Republicans, it did not escape their notice that some of the most attractive prospects were indeed often quite attractive.

There is a certain logic to the trend. Back in 1994, when Republicans seized power in Congress from Democrats, the GOP had a number of fresh-faced challengers who knocked off incumbents who had grown worse for wear after years of committee hearings and fundraising receptions.

Yes, perhaps it is GOP fatigue factor -- it's exhausting being a pinch-faced old tightass for years on end.  But I'm reminded of a comment made on the blog early on in our blogging career by CTBob (back when he was still Bob Adams) about Don Sherwood's "29 year-old" (OH YEAH) girlfriend:

This confirms a theory of mine: a Conservative ‘10′ is a Liberal ‘2.

No wonder they hate us. 

Mike is also one of our ActBlue candidates whose race is looking really good these days (no pun intended), and you can give to his campaign here.  Think of it as a solid investment to get rid of the GOP ugler fest that might well coax more people to get involved in politics.

Democrats.  Progressives.  Liberals.  Fresh faces with new ideas.  It's time to throw the decrepit old crooks out of office.