Kyrsten Sinema goes independent, scrambles Senate

[tn1911]

https://www.axios.com/2022/12/09/kyr...pendent-senate

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said in remarks published at 6 a.m. ET Friday that she's leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent.

Why it matters: It's a political earthquake that will shake up the Senate — just three days after Democrats thought they had secured a 51-49 majority.

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Josh Kraushaar: Sinema views activists in the Arizona Democratic Party as extreme as the state Republican Party.

She's up in 2024, and risked a primary from Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) on the left.

Damn!!!

[ABNAK]

Depends on who she decides to caucus with. For instance Bernie is an Independent but caucuses with the Democraps so he counts as one of them numbers-wise.

[flenna]

Will she vote differently? Eh, probably not. She is just trying to placate the voters who are not happy with the state of the country.

[chuckman]

Depends on who she decides to caucus with. For instance Bernie is an Independent but caucuses with the Democraps so he counts as one of them numbers-wise.

I imagine she'll caucus with the democrats. But they will have to work to have her vote for their legislation; it ain't gonna be a gimme.

Will she vote differently? Eh, probably not. She is just trying to placate the voters who are not happy with the state of the country.

I think she will (vote differently). She, Manchin, a couple of others had a huge independent streak that rubbed the democrat leadership the wrong way.

This is a very big deal. 51-49 was an impenetrable wall. 50-50 (or 50-49-1) really changes the dynamic.

[markm]

Doubt she'll side with Dems who have treated her like complete shit. I used to hate this broad, but she's actually at least moderate on her views now that she's in office. I trust here more that Penis head Mark Kelly by a HUGE margin.

[tn1911]

Will she vote differently? Eh, probably not. She is just trying to placate the voters who are not happy with the state of the country.

She will. Her and Manchin have been the most powerful players in the senate for the last two years this’ll make her even more significant and she knows it.

[Diamondback]

This is no more than Scorpion saying "Frog, please give me a lift across the river." Unless she crosses over to make the caucuses 50-50, it's a distinction without a difference, "full of sound and fury signifying nothing."

[utahjeepr]

I'm trying to figure out the math on this. Granted, the hard left were gonna challenge her in the primary, no matter how foolish that would have been. So now she is preemptively setting up a 3 party race for 2024. Gallego will almost certainly try to land the D slot on the ballot and I'm betting he gets it. The R slot, who knows? Either way her incumbent advantage gets watered down fighting two party machines.

There has to be some "inside baseball" stuff going on here. That or she is planning her exit from the Senate and positioning for her next step, whatever that may be. I don't see her ever going R, any talking heads saying that may be a "future possibility" or "next step" are full of it.

Sinema has sailed an odd course. I remember her from the 2000's. She was a lefty activist and all over radio and TV in AZ. She was the go to interview for any radical left wing cause. Her positions then were right in line with AOChe. She was Squad before Squad was cool. Her transition to "flamboyant moderate" has been strange to watch. I gotta admit though, I kinda like her. Even "back then" when I disagreed with every word that came out of her mouth.

[Diamondback]

That's the game, Utah, she's posturing because she knows the Left pisses off the Normies and she needs to create distance from them until the storm blows over.

Anything she says to appeal to those Less Left is just so much "Frog, I totes promise I won't sting you if you give me a ride"--I've seen this scam before, I was taught it firsthand BY Leftist Elite strategists as a kid, and in the small-ball environment of that classroom I've run this scam myself. People CAN change, but the probability is she is running the same thing By The Numbers...

[chuckman]

This is no more than Scorpion saying "Frog, please give me a lift across the river." Unless she crosses over to make the caucuses 50-50, it's a distinction without a difference, "full of sound and fury signifying nothing."

I disagree. If she had been a go along/get along with the Democrats all along I'd agree, but she (and manchin) has been a thorn in their sides. If she was just going to vote D party line anyway, she wouldn't have switched. She'll hold enormous power because they will really have to earn her vote.

I do think that it will be an uphill battle for the Republicans but if they can use her, Manchin, to block even a third of their legislation, it will be helpful.