I suppose this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Will Manchin be next?
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/politics/kyrsten-sinema-leaves-democratic-party/index.html
As surprising as Gabbard.
She knows she’s going to be primaried in 2024 and she’s trying to pull an Arlen Specter. I predict it’ll go about as well for her as it did for him.
Big win for Manchin.
I can’t fathom who her base might be.
Doesn’t matter, this is essentially just a ploy for attention. Manchin is a real Democrat, and a great help to the party – there’s no chance his replacement could ever be better for the Democrats. Sinema is pretty much useless and this doesn’t change anything. As Mark Kelly has proved, we can get a good, team-playing, progressive Democrat in Arizona (unlike WV). There was almost no chance Sinema would have more than 1 term as a Senator; now it’s assured she won’t.
OK, so how does a three-way race in AZ go? Normal Dem gets 33%, Synema gets 33%, and Tighty-Righty gets 33? And we sit up all night seeing how the other 1% shakes out?
Based on her comments, it sounds like she’s going to fall into the same category as Bernie Sanders and Angus King. Only time will tell if she sticks to that.
Her campaign song is already written: ♩ ♬ ♪ …mi-mi-mi-MEEEEEEEE… ♩ ♪ ♫
Hard for me to imagine who Sinema appeals to. She voted twice to impeach Trump. And she generally tries to stymie Democrats on almost every policy. Seems to me she is trying for the mythical (and mostly fantastical) “both sides are too extreme” voter, so maybe 10%?
I doubt she even runs again.
When she did her theatrical thumbs down of the minimum wage raise, I knew she was a waste of oxygen. I once read that she had presidential aspirations. She can join the other deluded Aholes like Pence and Bolton.
To somebody, for sure.
Do you think she gets under 10% in a three-way? 5%?
I have no immediate idea how such a race would go.
It’s a guess, but yes, I’d say 5-10%. I don’t think she really has any significant voter base, and most voters will be afraid a vote for her will just help the “other side”, and thus most voters will vote for their normal preference between the Democratic and Republican candidates.
She almost has to. If she was just trying to give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats the middle finger she would have just become a Republican and made some statements about fucking with them. If she was just going to retire, then I don’t see any benefit to her with this move either.
Aside from saving face in a Dem primary, does this move do anything else for her?
Apparently she will continue to caucus with the Democrats. Which means this is even more of a meaningless gesture.
I wonder if, based on the relatively even break between Hobbs and Lake, that somehow this is about running for governor in 2026 and picking up votes from both sides.
I wonder how that will affect the Senate balance. Interesting she waited for the Warnock re-election to be assured.
Sinema is a very silly person, and this is almost certainly her last term as a Senator, and maybe as any sort of office-holder. Doesn’t really change anything, and just makes it more likely we get a good Democrat in that seat in 2024.