incumbents

Definition

The current office-holders who enjoy the perks of name recognition, franking privileges, and an entire staff dedicated to making them look good. These are the politicians with 'experience' (read: connections) who statistically win re-election at rates that would make Vegas bookies jealous. The reason why 'throw the bums out' rarely results in actual bum-throwing.

Example Usage

Despite voter dissatisfaction, 96% of incumbents won their races, proving that familiarity breeds re-election.

Source: Political terminology via standard dictionaries

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