Has "angry" become a code word for "crazy"?

[LuckyTheDog]

We have a candidate for governor here in Michigan (Virg Bernero) who has been referred to as "Michigan's angriest mayor."

I think it'd be a mistake for his campaign to embrace that label. As an observer of how words are used in politics, it seems to me that "angry" has been used as a code word for "unhinged" or "crazy."

I think a better message would be "Michigan's toughest mayor," or "Michigan's feistiest mayor." I think either of those gets more directly to what his campaign really wants to say.

Thoughts?

[Posteritatis]

1. I'd gotten the impression that the reverse was the case, really

If someone's angry about something - or upset, or mildly perturbed, or in a state of thoughtful skepticism - it's easy to blow them off as frothing ragepots.

[damntexdem]

2. Oh, just use 'mad.'

It has long done double duty.

[XemaSab]

3. I don't think that's a new usage

If someone's "angry," the implication is that they're unhinged.