I think this is the one thing voters hate worse than bad canidates that get elected - operatives that get them elected.
In this case, YES. Swann can win this election if he quits running on the "I'm Lynn Swann, vote for an ex-Steeler" trip and actually try to win.
If you'd read some of Salena's other work you'd see she's no "Loud Dowd" nor a fanatical operative.