Why does Sinema play bipartisan? Will she be primaried in 2024?

[David Hume]

Sinema is a kind of enigma. Once a bi-sexual green party activist, she transformed into a centrist Democrat, who is closer to Manchin and Susan Collins than the vast majority of other Democrats.

However, she is not in WV, but AZ, a R leaning swing state trending left. While Manchin can say he is the only D who can win in WV, Sinema can't say that in AZ, as Mark Kelly just did that. It's not clear if playing bipartisanship is beneficial for her reelection, as she will annoy progressive D.

Someone on twitter claiming having meeting her in AZ says she was arrogant, self-centered. And there are some discrepancies about her childhood between her description and her parents'.

My intuition is, playing bipartisanship and independence will greatly boost her influence as one of the most junior senator, especially in a closely divided senate. Once Manchin retires or get defeated, she is going to play his role, if she manage to stay on. But can she?

[Хahar 🤔]

Everything "enigmatic" about Kyrsten Sinema's career can be explained if you conclude that she loves attention. Each of the roles she's played in her life was unusual in some sense at the time, and she's leveraged that to get where she is now. I don't believe that she believes in anything.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Sinema will only be primaried if D's lose the H in the Midterms, if D's do well she won't be primaried and net 52 seats to lift the Filibuster

[tjstarling]

I think she thinks that the key to popularity and success for her in AZ is to assume McCain’s maverick schtick. There were stories of republicans being interviewed during the 2018 race who liked Sinema because they viewed her has independent (especially in comparison to McSally), so maybe there’s something to that. The questions is how much crossover support will she need going forward and whether or not those folks are still Republican overall anymore. She’s also hasn’t been very media savvy as of late. It’s one thing to quietly piss of your base, it’s another to do it in the flashy way Sinema does. She’ll draw a challenger in the primary, but it probably won’t take her down unless she keeps pissing people off consistently over the next 4 years.

[Meatball Ron]

Everything "enigmatic" about Kyrsten Sinema's career can be explained if you conclude that she loves attention. Each of the roles she's played in her life was unusual in some sense at the time, and she's leveraged that to get where she is now. I don't believe that she believes in anything.

I think this is largely right. I agree that she thinks it's beneficial to her career and is trying to position herself as the next Manchin (and in another sense, the next McCain) but I think all that stuff ties back to the attention issue.

On the "will she be primaried" question - I wasn't sure if you meant, will there be a primary challenge attempt, or a successful primary challenge? I think there will be an attempt - by someone less prominent than say, a sitting House member, but by someone more prominent than a random dentist. Maybe a State Rep. or a local official? That said, I think this person will lose and it won't be especially close.

[PAK Man]

Everything "enigmatic" about Kyrsten Sinema's career can be explained if you conclude that she loves attention. Each of the roles she's played in her life was unusual in some sense at the time, and she's leveraged that to get where she is now. I don't believe that she believes in anything.

I think this is largely right. I agree that she thinks it's beneficial to her career and is trying to position herself as the next Manchin (and in another sense, the next McCain) but I think all that stuff ties back to the attention issue.

On the "will she be primaried" question - I wasn't sure if you meant, will there be a primary challenge attempt, or a successful primary challenge? I think there will be an attempt - by someone less prominent than say, a sitting House member, but by someone more prominent than a random dentist. Maybe a State Rep. or a local official? That said, I think this person will lose and it won't be especially close.

Your comment made me wonder if Matt Heinz would try to primary her. I think he's still bitter about how he got zero help from Dems during the 2016 election and his challenge to McSally. But I don't think someone like Gallego or Grijalva would go for it (if I recall correctly, didn't Grijalva take awhile to endorse her in 2018?)

[David Hume]

Everything "enigmatic" about Kyrsten Sinema's career can be explained if you conclude that she loves attention. Each of the roles she's played in her life was unusual in some sense at the time, and she's leveraged that to get where she is now. I don't believe that she believes in anything.

I think this is largely right. I agree that she thinks it's beneficial to her career and is trying to position herself as the next Manchin (and in another sense, the next McCain) but I think all that stuff ties back to the attention issue.

On the "will she be primaried" question - I wasn't sure if you meant, will there be a primary challenge attempt, or a successful primary challenge? I think there will be an attempt - by someone less prominent than say, a sitting House member, but by someone more prominent than a random dentist. Maybe a State Rep. or a local official? That said, I think this person will lose and it won't be especially close.

I mean losing a primary. Most of politicians will have primary challengers, it's just how strong they will be. I guess some progressive PACs may try hard to primary her if she keeps doing so, but not sure if they could be successful. And moreover, will she seriously piss off Dem base that even if she wins primary, they choose not voting and lead to her lost in general election.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Silver lining until 2022 that Sinema isn't lifting Filibuster, it prevents an embarrassing loss at SCOTUS when Rs sue in the Kavanaugh Crt over Progressive legislation

But, D's are looking towards 2022 for wave insurance in OH and NC to Crt pack in case Kavanaugh votes down Progressive legislation

Rs sued over OBAMACARE, they will do it again

As I said before Sinema only have to worry should Ds lose the H, which is less than 50 chance, if D's keep everything, Filibuster will be lifted

[Arizona Iced Tea]

Silver lining until 2022 that Sinema isn't lifting Filibuster, it prevents an embarrassing loss at SCOTUS when Rs sue in the Kavanaugh Crt over Progressive legislation

But, D's are looking towards 2022 for wave insurance in OH and NC to Crt pack in case Kavanaugh votes down Progressive legislation

Rs sued over OBAMACARE, they will do it again

As I said before Sinema only have to worry should Ds lose the H, which is less than 50 chance, if D's keep everything, Filibuster will be lifted

Even if Dems gain senate seats in 2022 and end the filibuster, it doesn't matter if Republicans capture the House. Without the House the whole point of killing the filibuster for Court Packing isn't going to work out if it doesn't pass in both chambers.

Anyway regarding Sinema, she ran as an "independent voice", and probably wants to be the next McCain. Look at her grand thumbs down to the minimum wage increase.

[Alben Barkley]

I like how everyone acts like AZ is now a solid D state so Sinema should feel free to vote as far left as she wants and drop all pretext of bipartisanship, instead of a state that just barely voted D in the presidential election and in which the supposedly strong D candidate Mark Kelly significantly underperformed polls against Martha McSally (and also slightly underperformed Sinema herself in 2018 despite the state being supposed to trend farther left).

It’s one thing to blast Feinstein or something, but Sinema is simply being smart given the fact that her state is still several points to the right of the nation. And frankly it’s a bit suspect how everyone here loves Manchin but can’t stand Sinema. If anything you should be more critical of Manchin because he almost certainly can’t win in 2024 anyway, so he has no reason to play concerned bipartisan hero anymore unless he really believes it. Sinema however can certainly win in 2024 but it’s not by any means guaranteed if she votes like Bernie Sanders.

[Xing]

Of course she's playing. One look at her career demonstrates that. I don't think she'll be successfully primaried, but the idea that she has to be a """"""moderate hero""""" to win in a swing state is silly. Why didn't Kelly, Warnock, Ossoff, Brown, Baldwin, or Casey vote against it? It's one thing to have beliefs that happen to fall in the center of the political spectrum, but I don't think that describes Sinema at all; she's clearly posturing, which really isn't necessary.

[David Hume]

I like how everyone acts like AZ is now a solid D state so Sinema should feel free to vote as far left as she wants and drop all pretext of bipartisanship, instead of a state that just barely voted D in the presidential election and in which the supposedly strong D candidate Mark Kelly significantly underperformed polls against Martha McSally (and also slightly underperformed Sinema herself in 2018 despite the state being supposed to trend farther left).

It’s one thing to blast Feinstein or something, but Sinema is simply being smart given the fact that her state is still several points to the right of the nation. And frankly it’s a bit suspect how everyone here loves Manchin but can’t stand Sinema. If anything you should be more critical of Manchin because he almost certainly can’t win in 2024 anyway, so he has no reason to play concerned bipartisan hero anymore unless he really believes it. Sinema however can certainly win in 2024 but it’s not by any means guaranteed if she votes like Bernie Sanders.

But she voted to the right of Tester and Brown, who are in a much deeper red state. One doesn't need to go so far to be a Maverick.

Manchin is a completely different story. He may indeed believe in bipartisanship and dislike the  "radical left agenda". He may retire in 2024 when he was 77, or simply switch party.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Even if all these Progressive bills passed Kavanaugh will be the swing vote he is for Concealed weapons, for Voter ID and for Congressial Gerrymandering.  Dems whom think that Rs won't sue at SCOTUS on all these bills don't realize Rs sued on OBAMACARE

Just because you lift the Filibuster and bills signed into law doesn't mean the end of it

It's not fair to keep blaming Sinema

[Calthrina950]

I like how everyone acts like AZ is now a solid D state so Sinema should feel free to vote as far left as she wants and drop all pretext of bipartisanship, instead of a state that just barely voted D in the presidential election and in which the supposedly strong D candidate Mark Kelly significantly underperformed polls against Martha McSally (and also slightly underperformed Sinema herself in 2018 despite the state being supposed to trend farther left).

It’s one thing to blast Feinstein or something, but Sinema is simply being smart given the fact that her state is still several points to the right of the nation. And frankly it’s a bit suspect how everyone here loves Manchin but can’t stand Sinema. If anything you should be more critical of Manchin because he almost certainly can’t win in 2024 anyway, so he has no reason to play concerned bipartisan hero anymore unless he really believes it. Sinema however can certainly win in 2024 but it’s not by any means guaranteed if she votes like Bernie Sanders.

But she voted to the right of Tester and Brown, who are in a much deeper red state. One doesn't need to go so far to be a Maverick.

Manchin is a completely different story. He may indeed believe in bipartisanship and dislike the  "radical left agenda". He may retire in 2024 when he was 77, or simply switch party.

As I've said before, Manchin would not be accepted by Republicans at this point, after having voted twice to convict Trump. He will retire in 2024 and remain a loyal Democrat until the day he dies.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Of course she's playing. One look at her career demonstrates that. I don't think she'll be successfully primaried, but the idea that she has to be a """"""moderate hero""""" to win in a swing state is silly. Why didn't Kelly, Warnock, Ossoff, Brown, Baldwin, or Casey vote against it? It's one thing to have beliefs that happen to fall in the center of the political spectrum, but I don't think that describes Sinema at all; she's clearly posturing, which really isn't necessary.

I think the issue here is with the definition of beliefs.

The simplest answer here is that Kyrsten Sinema has incredibly dumb and inane beliefs, primarily valuing the privileges of politicians and very little to no concern about policy or the rights of the general public.


If one was acting for bipartisan cred, it would be unbelievably stupid to choose something that prevents literally all regular legislation from happening.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

I like how everyone acts like AZ is now a solid D state so Sinema should feel free to vote as far left as she wants and drop all pretext of bipartisanship, instead of a state that just barely voted D in the presidential election and in which the supposedly strong D candidate Mark Kelly significantly underperformed polls against Martha McSally (and also slightly underperformed Sinema herself in 2018 despite the state being supposed to trend farther left).

It’s one thing to blast Feinstein or something, but Sinema is simply being smart given the fact that her state is still several points to the right of the nation. And frankly it’s a bit suspect how everyone here loves Manchin but can’t stand Sinema. If anything you should be more critical of Manchin because he almost certainly can’t win in 2024 anyway, so he has no reason to play concerned bipartisan hero anymore unless he really believes it. Sinema however can certainly win in 2024 but it’s not by any means guaranteed if she votes like Bernie Sanders.

She’s preventing literally all legislation from passing.


She’s not picking and choosing and being a pain, she’s putting her foot down to give Mitch McConnell veto powers.

[sting in the rafters]

Because she's still stuck in the old mentality of needing to win over swing voters when A) pumping the base is more important now and B)there is no mythical voter that will vote D because she voted to kill a popular piece of legislation in the name of "bipartisanship"

[OneJ]

I like how everyone acts like AZ is now a solid D state so Sinema should feel free to vote as far left as she wants and drop all pretext of bipartisanship, instead of a state that just barely voted D in the presidential election and in which the supposedly strong D candidate Mark Kelly significantly underperformed polls against Martha McSally (and also slightly underperformed Sinema herself in 2018 despite the state being supposed to trend farther left).

It’s one thing to blast Feinstein or something, but Sinema is simply being smart given the fact that her state is still several points to the right of the nation. And frankly it’s a bit suspect how everyone here loves Manchin but can’t stand Sinema. If anything you should be more critical of Manchin because he almost certainly can’t win in 2024 anyway, so he has no reason to play concerned bipartisan hero anymore unless he really believes it. Sinema however can certainly win in 2024 but it’s not by any means guaranteed if she votes like Bernie Sanders.

1. Well Sinema won by 2.35% in a ~D+7 year vs. Kelly winning by roughly the same margin in a ~D+4.5 year.

2. Kelly represents the same state as her. Ossoff and Warnock represent a state that's undergoing similar changes to Arizona. Two of them have elections coming up next year (a while before Sinema's). They're not bending over backwards at every single moment to keep up this super moderate FF image to win their races and fortunately, I don't believe they need to do that anyway.

[xavier110]

I don’t think her strategy is necessarily a bad one. I won’t vote for her in a primary, but I can’t imagine her losing (her margin might be fairly embarrassing however) and she will still pick up some dumb faux moderate hero voters, who do exist.

[MT Treasurer]

Because it’s an extremely smart move in a state that will likely be very close at the presidential level? I also disagree with the premise that Kelly is in as good or even a better position for reelection than Sinema, in spite of the (absurd) optimism about this race on this forum.

Let’s dispel with this fiction that the Prada Socialist doesn’t know what she’s doing. The Prada Socialist knows exactly what she’s doing.

[libertpaulian]

Let’s dispel with this fiction that the Prada Socialist doesn’t know what she’s doing. The Prada Socialist knows exactly what she’s doing.

She'll start shifting left when AZ goes the way of CO.

[Progressive Pessimist]

She isn't noticing the same demographic shifts that Mark Kelly is. I guess we'll see in 2022 whether she's right or not. I have a hunch that she isn't.

She won't be primaried though. At best it will be token opposition which she easily dispatches.

[Calthrina950]

Because it’s an extremely smart move in a state that will likely be very close at the presidential level? I also disagree with the premise that Kelly is in as good or even a better position for reelection than Sinema, in spite of the (absurd) optimism about this race on this forum.

Let’s dispel with this fiction that the Prada Socialist doesn’t know what she’s doing. The Prada Socialist knows exactly what she’s doing.

Many posters on here behave as if Sinema and Manchin are Republicans in all but name, which could not be more wrong. I certainly believe that much of what they're doing is an act, to maintain their influence within the Senate and to give them media visibility, as well as to build a positive image among their constituents at home. And when one looks at their voting records, they have been loyal Democrats through and through. Both voted for the stimulus bill-which received not a single Republican vote. Both voted to convict Trump twice, both voted against Barrett, and Manchin voted for Kavanaugh only after Collins announced her intention to do so (and would have voted against him had she voted no). And Manchin has already indicated his willingness to "bend" on the filibuster.

[MT Treasurer]

Let’s dispel with this fiction that the Prada Socialist doesn’t know what she’s doing. The Prada Socialist knows exactly what she’s doing.

She'll start shifting left when AZ goes the way of CO.

Judging by the state's closeness in 2020, her political instincts were proven to be pretty sharp. The state didn’t trend nearly as strongly leftward as most people had predicted, including you and me. AZ going the way of the CO isn’t as inevitable as it’s been made out, and she probably (wisely) realized this. Obviously she’s overdoing it sometimes, but the fact that it’s still working like a charm and that people are falling for it given her background and... quirks... is... impressive (and depressing, but in a peculiarly hilarious way, but I digress)!

Not surprising to see Atlas hail some random generic male Democrat (Kelly) as some unbeatable genius while bashing the female Democrat's (Sinema) politicking as "erratic" and "out of touch," though. Even the NRSC losers are already giving Sinema positive coverage and ad material for her reelection campaign, but sure, y'all go off about how she doesn’t know what she’s doing. Her winning coalition in 2018 was fairly reliant on R crossover voting, her 2024 coalition easily could be as well (especially in a less favorable environment), and polling has already shown her attracting considerable R support, but sure, she’s just doing this on a whim.

[GeneralMacArthur]

What playbook is her psycho Republican opponent going to run against her?  "Vote for me, Sinema is too hostile to the left?"

The election is 4 years away and I can already tell you her Republican opponent is going to try to paint her as a socialist and call her a radical left extremist.  All those Twitter communists telling Sinema to go kill herself are just helping her get re-elected.  So I thank them.

Will she get primaried?  Probably, but it won't be successful.  There will be polls showing Sinema polling well ahead of her Republican opponent, and she'll have the full backing of the establishment and plenty of state endorsements, that should be enough to cruise to re-election.

Please keep going on Twitter and telling Kyrsten it's her fault that her staffer died, and that she's Mitch McConnell's bitch... posting that anime girl pic...  the more distance there is between her and the leftists, the better.