There have been times when Democrat Libby Mitchell’s gubernatorial campaign seems more about what she’s done than what she’ll do.

But in this angry year of anti-incumbency and anti-establishment, is running on a 24-year record in state government the best strategy?

It might just be the only strategy.

Mitchell’s no incumbent, but in this year’s race for the Blaine House, the longtime legislator and Senate president is undoubtedly part of the establishment.

Mitchell’s chief rivals, Republican Paul LePage and independent Eliot Cutler, have gone to great lengths to remind voters of that fact. They derisively call her “more of the same” and a “career politician.”

Mitchell calls those same elements “experience” and “public service.”

So far, Mitchell’s message appears to be losing.

“I think that’s the struggle she has, but in many ways that’s the best selling point that she has,” said Michael Franz, an associate professor of government at Bowdoin College. “She’s kind of stuck.”

Typically, Franz said, Mitchell’s long experience working with the Legislature would resonate with voters. But this is not a typical election year.

Even LePage’s consistent brush with controversy has had little effect on the polls. The mayor of Waterville holds a significant lead, Franz said, because people “just seem to want something different.”

“That’s hard to run against if you’re Mitchell,” he said.

Rather than abandon her record, Mitchell has chosen to embrace it. With six weeks left before Election Day, Franz said her best hope might be to present herself as the “more stable candidate.”

“By comparing yourself to Paul LePage, who comes off as more gruff, more of a hothead, maybe voters would think twice about making that change,” Franz said. “But that’s as close as she’s going to get in this kind of environment.”

Popular populist

If it wasn’t apparent before, independent gubernatorial candidate Shawn Moody’s performance during Saturday’s televised debate on WGME Channel 13 made it clear that he’s gunning for the everyman vote.

Moody has been using his small business background and folksy charm to position himself as the apolitical, common-sense candidate. Recent, albeit slight, gains in polling indicate that it might be working.

Here’s a potential reason why: Moody’s image seems genuine.

Saturday’s no-holds debate produced some fascinating moments, including LePage’s bizarre closing act with his embattled wife, independent Eliot Cutler’s irascibility and Mitchell revealing a razor beneath a typically civil tongue.

Moody, on the other hand, dished the unintentional comedy. At one point, as the other candidates grew confrontational, he asked moderator Gregg Lagerquist to repeat a question. It was if he’d been distracted watching the frenzy.

Later, during the lightning round, Moody was asked if state government had gotten larger or smaller over the last several years. Moody deferred to Mitchell, drawing laughter from the panel and audience, and a pat on the back from Mitchell.

He also had one of the best lines of the night. After a heated exchange between the other candidates, Moody said, “I’ve heard from the Democratic party, the Republican party, the Green party, the tea party. You know what? The party’s over.”

It turned out that the same line was in Moody’s prepared closing statement. But he sure picked the right moment to lift it from the script.

No labels, no lunatics?

A national movement called No Labels is taking root with hopes of appealing to those turned off by the extreme polarity of today’s political scene.

The group claims to be comprised of Republicans, Democrats and independents willing to put aside their labels and “do what’s best for America.”

According to its website, No Labels isn’t trying to form a third party or run individuals for office but, rather, to create a citizen movement giving voice to the moderate center.

Says the site: “The problem with American politics is hyper-partisanship: the ideological extremes too often dominate our political discourse.”

Former independent Gov. Angus King, Democrat Rosa Scarcelli and Republican state Sen. Peter Mills appear ready to start a local chapter of No Labels. The three sent a letter to supporters inviting them to attend an Oct. 7 gathering at Scarcelli’s home in Portland.

According to the letter, John Avlon, a senior political columnist for The Daily Beast and the author of “Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Attacking America” will be there.

Young gun

Jason Levesque, the GOP candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, for the 2nd Congressional District is listed as “on the radar” by the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The status indicates Levesque has reached the first step in the NRCC’s “Young Guns” program, which tracks 23 congressional candidates “determined to reign in reckless spending, cut taxes and return the economy back to a state of vitality.”

“On the radar” is the first of three steps in the Young Guns program developed by U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia. The second step is “contender.”

The third step is “young gun,” which isn’t nearly as fun as “buckaroo.”

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