But Mr. Alexander's resume is a bit at odds with the outsider image he is trying to create.

Many also celebrated and remembered the outsider image of Mr. Davis, a 41-year-old former police officer, among elected officials in Brooklyn.

The people running his campaign are cleverly milking his outsider image.

Presidential aides do not see the strapping, idiosyncratic Attorney General, who relishes her outsider image, as one of their own.

"The way you win them over is with the outsider image," Mr. Smith said.

Leyner cultivated an outsider image based on his reading, but in fact he was quite popular.

Gainsbourg's considerable popularity in France has more to do with the outsider image he cultivated than with the substance of his musical contribution.

To some, this only helped cultivate the outsider image Mr. Suozzi has tried to perpetuate.

There is a danger in reading too much drama into this outsider image.

Instead, the party turned to the wealthy businessman Lewis, who was able to project an "outsider" image.