# Examples of the rotating villain tactic that the democratic party uses to avoid passing bills

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [January 26, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061 "2026-01-26T22:35:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061/21 "2026-01-27T12:56:22Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> The statement comes from this book.

If I read it correctly, all they are doing is quoting Sinema, not attesting to the veracity of what she is saying.

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**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061/22 "2026-01-27T13:51:14Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> No true scotsman it is. The politics bureau chief at politico is not credible.

Is that what @Atamasama said? Or were they saying that the politics bureau chief at Politico (do we not capitalize Politico either, along with Democrat and Republican?) IS a reliable source so it’s probably true that Sinema _told him_ that five or six Democrats hide behind her no vote, but this has no bearing on whether or not _the underlying claim is true_?

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**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061/23 "2026-01-27T16:22:14Z")

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I am not sure why this idea is controversial, I too have noticed pattern in both parties using this tactic. Republicans typically do it the other way with just the barest majority turning out to pass unpopular policies so the members from competitive districts can go home and loudly proclaim “I didn’t vote to gut your health care and stand behind Trump in deporting the evil brown people that are the cause of all your woe!”

That said, I am not sure you can hold up Sinema and Manchin as examples of this as she was not really integrated into the party and he had an unusual constituency. Just my opinion.

There are all sorts of perverse incentives in politics. Just look at how very few Democrats would support Mamdami for a clear example.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-the-rotating-villain-tactic-that-the-democratic-party-uses-to-avoid-passing-bills/1027061/24 "2026-01-27T20:16:07Z")

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> [@Wesley\_Clark](#):
>
> I just feel the democratic party is trying to manage a progressive base with the fact that we live in a plutocracy. On one hand, they want to pretend to try to pass progressive legislation so their base will be happy, but on the other hand they don’t actually want to pass progressive legislation since it makes the rich and powerful upset.

I think it’s more that there’s a bigger divide between the progressive wing of the party and the rest under the “big tent”, than it’s trying to balance progressives vs. the rich.

There are a LOT of people out there who aren’t on board with the Republicans and who vote Democrat, but who are in no way progressives or even close.

So the Democrats try and basically show effort toward the progressive things, but only in safe ways that won’t antagonize the rest of their own party.

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