Republicans will no doubt try to portray Mr. Bishop, who sides consistently with his party's leadership on votes in the House, as out of step with the more politically moderate sensibilities of his district.
But Mr. Ferguson managed to win each election, partly because he sought to establish his own political identity by openly criticizing national leaders of his party on issues that appealed to the politically moderate sensibilities of voters in his district, including health care and the environment.
Democrats had begun the election cycle hoping for much better results in New York, maintaining that the Republicans who won in 2010 were out of step with the moderate sensibilities of their constituents, and predicting that President Obama's popularity in the heavily Democratic state would help down-ballot Democrats.
Moreover, the broadcasts may be as much a driver of moderate Islamic sensibilities as they are a reflection of sensibilities already ensconced in the country and many of its religious institutions.
Moreover, the broadcasts may be as much a driver of moderate Islamic sensibilities as they are a reflection of sensibilities already ensconced in the country and many of its religious institutions.
Mr. Brown has sought to navigate between Tea Party demands for ideological faithfulness and his state's more moderate political sensibilities.
Then, as now, Democrats sought to cast Mr. Ferguson as staunchly conservative, a man who supported Mr. Bush and like-minded House leaders on policies that were out of step with the district's more moderate political sensibilities.
In 1966, as Richard Nixon prepared a presidential run, he defended Thurmond against charges of racism, calling him "a man of courage and integrity". On the campaign trail, Nixon championed law and order and used this color blind, but racially coded language to help secure the support of Thurmond's fans without offending moderate suburban sensibilities.
In addition, Ms. Buerkle, a Tea Party favorite who was recently invited to speak at the conservative Heritage Foundation, has positions that Democrats say are at odds with the moderate political sensibilities of her district, like her support for a plan to overhaul Medicare.
They even sided with him against Robert H. Michel of Illinois, the House minority leader from 1981 until 1995, who, in his civility and willingness to cooperate with Democrats, embodied the moderate's political sensibility.
