And Kyrsten makes three

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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb

Bazootiehead-in-training

09 December 2022, 08:52 AM

Piano*Dad

She has four years left in the Senate, no matter what she does. No matter how she twists and turns to appear "moderate," or "maverick," the lasting impression of her is "unprincipled," "manipulative," and it gets worse from there.

09 December 2022, 10:34 AM

jon-nyc

She can’t win a democratic primary, and she can’t win a Republican one either. This is her only chance of survival, however slim.

Plus she likes the attention.

09 December 2022, 01:13 PM

Piano*Dad

Yes, but there is a reason she cannot win a democratic primary. She has offended about 75% of that electorate. Her choice.

If she runs as an independent, one wonders who she would pull the most votes from, Ducey or Gallego?

09 December 2022, 07:18 PM

Nina

Has Ducey announced?

It's an interesting question. In order for her to have won earlier, she must've been getting GOP votes along with her (now laughable) "base" democratic/progressive voters. Those same democratic/progressives were already furious with her, and today's announcement won't help. Many of them will never vote for her again. So question 1 - how many of her 2018 voters now view her as unworthy of their vote?

To me the more interesting question will be what happens in the next two years. If you look at her voting record up to now, with a few highly publicized and impactful exceptions (minimum wage, the filibuster), she's voted with the Dems. So there is a scenario where the Dems who refuse to vote for her are shooting themselves in the foot if that ushers in a Ducey or worse. And of course, if she swings right in the next year (which she'd be stupid to do), then that is a whole other thing.

There's a big, HUGE part of me that wants to actively campaign against her, and if I still voted in AZ, to not vote for her. I think she's conniving and untrustworthy, and I think she's sold her soul to the highest bidder. But from a more practical standpoint, it could be that she will be the lesser of two or three evils when the election really comes around.

09 December 2022, 07:28 PM

Nina

Well, this isn't a puff piece.

One factual error I spotted - I believe Sinema rarely caucused with the Democrats, so I don't think she will "continue" to caucus with them, either. She says she won't caucus with the GOP, but she doesn't exactly inspire confidence and trustworthiness at this point.

10 December 2022, 10:02 AM

CHAS

I am more contemptuous of Sinema than of Green, Jordan, or Boebert. That must be because a feeling of betrayal.

10 December 2022, 11:34 AM

QuirtEvans

quote:
Originally posted by Piano*Dad:
Yes, but there is a reason she cannot win a democratic primary. She has offended about 75% of that electorate. Her choice.

If she runs as an independent, one wonders who she would pull the most votes from, Ducey or Gallego?

She offended a large chunk of the Democratic base because she isn't really a Democrat. She's mildly left of center in a party that has moved progessively (pun intended) leftward.

In any event, the letter after her name doesn't matter, as long as she caucuses with the Democrats to give them a majority of committee seats, and as long as her voting pattern doesn't change. She votes for judges. She votes for a lot (not all, which is part of what is held against her) of Democratic priorities. And she's a potential firewall when Manchin wanders off the reservation. So, she's still needed, even if she's a roadblock to things like changes to the carried interest provisions of the tax code.

She'd probably be the favorite if Arizona had Alaska's ranked-choice voting system.

10 December 2022, 11:35 AM

QuirtEvans

quote:
Originally posted by Nina:
Well, this isn't a puff piece.

One factual error I spotted - I believe Sinema rarely caucused with the Democrats, so I don't think she will "continue" to caucus with them, either. She says she won't caucus with the GOP, but she doesn't exactly inspire confidence and trustworthiness at this point.

My understanding is that she will be, in order to preserve her committee assignments. But she hasn't been crystal clear about that.

12 December 2022, 09:34 PM

wtg

Discussion about where the Dems go from here in AZ.

https://www.politico.com/news/...dems-senate-00073594

14 December 2022, 10:36 AM

Lisa

The Onion Weighs In.....

14 December 2022, 10:42 AM

QuirtEvans

quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
quote:
Originally posted by Nina:
Well, this isn't a puff piece.

One factual error I spotted - I believe Sinema rarely caucused with the Democrats, so I don't think she will "continue" to caucus with them, either. She says she won't caucus with the GOP, but she doesn't exactly inspire confidence and trustworthiness at this point.

My understanding is that she will be, in order to preserve her committee assignments. But she hasn't been crystal clear about that.

From wtg's link .... according to Jon Tester, "She caucuses with us."

14 December 2022, 12:17 PM

Nina

quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
(snip)
My understanding is that she will be, in order to preserve her committee assignments. But she hasn't been crystal clear about that.

(snark on) Why, how uncharacteristic! (snark off)

I am left with the feeling that her primary motive is to just grab attention. Secondary motive is to get a bunch of cash from donors.