Krysten Sinema switching to Independent

[bladel]

Says she doesn’t fit with either party, but still wants her committee assignments so I guess that means caucusing with the Democrats.

The real reason: she knows Ruben Gallego is coming for her seat in ‘24.

Kyrsten Sinema Says She Will Leave the Democratic Party

The Arizona senator is registering as an independent, noting that she “never fit perfectly in either national party.”

www.nytimes.com

 

[WDSMHAWK]

She is the definition of a Corporate Democrat and has/had a pathetically low approval rating among Democrats in Arizona. This change only means she gets destroyed in the general and not the primary, which is good for the country.

 

[TC Nole OX]

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I think she just likes attention.

 

[noleclone2]

Good thing Dems held GA

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

Good thing Dems held GA

Manchin and her still hold some power if they act in unison.

 

[EasyHawk]

This seems like it shouldn't be allowed until a person is next up for election. What if Dems hadn't held Georgia?

 

[runkpanole]

Good thing Dems held GA

My guess is Georgia is what allowed her to do this.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

She is the definition of a Corporate Democrat and has/had a pathetically low approval rating among Democrats in Arizona. This change only means she gets destroyed in the general and not the primary, which is good for the country.

And in that scenario she likely splits the vote and costs the Dems a seat.

Would be smarter for the Dems to not run a candidate against her.

 

[sober_teacher]

I think she just likes attention.

I’d give good odds she doesn’t do this if Warnock lost.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

Good thing Dems held GA

I don't think it would have changed anything either way. I don't think she was going to going to vote for McConnell to run the senate.

This is a label change much like Bernie Sanders and Angus King. Only difference is that she's taking the label because she's right of the Dems instead of left of them. But that doesn't make her a Republican either.

 

[franklinman]

Um, anther 1 termer.

 

[Mayland]

Would. And she can bring a friend.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

So…nothing is changing but her label. Voting the same way. Serving on Dem committees. Attention seeking.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

So…nothing is changing but her label. Voting the same way. Serving on Dem committees. Attention seeking.

Maybe. . . but the Dems in AZ pulled what the Republicans are doing and censured her for voting her conscious.

Plus running for re-election as an independent might actually protect her from being defeated.

She would be vulnerable in the primary. But if she skips that because she's an independent, she gives the Dems a tough choice. Run a candidate against her and guarantee that they lose the seat, or play ball with her and let her win the seat on the independent label while she still caucuses with the Dems.

These are 6 year terms we talk about here. Do you want to sacrifice a senate seat to a MAGA for the next 6 years just to be rid of Sinema?

This seems more strategic than anything.

 

[mthawkeyes]

I think she just likes attention.

This. Just wants all the attention that Manchin got the past two years.

 

[mthawkeyes]

Maybe. . . but the Dems in AZ pulled what the Republicans are doing and censured her for voting her conscious.

Plus running for re-election as an independent might actually protect her from being defeated.

She would be vulnerable in the primary. But if she skips that because she's an independent, she gives the Dems a tough choice. Run a candidate against her and guarantee that they lose the seat, or play ball with her and let her win the seat on the independent label while she still caucuses with the Dems.

This seems more strategic than anything.

I would bet good money that if the Republicans win the Senate in 2024, as the map says they likely will, she will decide that she's more of a Republican and will caucus with them (and keeps her committee seats).

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

I would bet good money that if the Republicans win the Senate in 2024, as the map says they likely will, she will decide that she's more of a Republican and will caucus with them (and keeps her committee seats).

Maybe but I doubt it. You are doing what the Republicans are doing and basically accusing her of not being honest simply because they don't see things exactly your way all of the time.

I don't think she starts caucusing with the Republicans just cause they have the majority. If she starts doing that she may find herself in a situation where neither side trusts her inside and outside of the senate and she's on the outs of everything.

 

[BustingNarratives]

I would bet good money that if the Republicans win the Senate in 2024, as the map says they likely will, she will decide that she's more of a Republican and will caucus with them (and keeps her committee seats).

^^^ This. Dems have to defend 23 Senate seats in 2024, Rs defend only 10. She could be trending R.

 

[TJ8869]

I’d give good odds she doesn’t do this if Warnock lost.

Hoosier is correct. The Georgia runoff result likely had nothing to do with this. She is still caucusing with the Dems and still counts toward the 51-49 majority, just like Sanders and King.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

Hoosier is correct. The Georgia runoff result likely had nothing to do with this. She is still caucusing with the Dems and still counts toward the 51-49 majority, just like Sanders and King.

Really what changes is that she no longer has to worry about the primary but skips right to the general where the Dems are forced into a choice of either running someone against her and guaranteeing that whatever Republican crazy person gets the nomination wins that senate seat for the next 6 years or not running against her and she has a strong chance of winning it on her own.

 

[peacehawk]

I guarantee Sinema will caucus with the Republicans in 2025 if they take control of the Senate and she somehow manages to win re-election as an independent. Kyrsten has always been about what is best for Kyrsten.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Hoosier is correct. The Georgia runoff result likely had nothing to do with this. She is still caucusing with the Dems and still counts toward the 51-49 majority, just like Sanders and King.

Maybe. She’s not nearly as reliable on D leadership issues as King and Sanders.

 

[Chishawk1425]

$$$$$$ she's a phony and a fake

 

[Huey Grey]

What a brilliant chess move. So her real goal is to lose the next election and act like a spoiler to get some dumbfvck R in her seat.

 

[Chishawk1425]

What a brilliant chess move. So her real goal is to lose the next election and act like a spoiler to get some dumbfvck R in her seat.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[hawkeye54545]

Would. And she can bring a friend.

Agreed. Far more important than what parts she belongs to is the fact her glasses work for her. They give her a bad girl librarian vibe. I'd definately give her 22 seconds of shame and sadness.

 

[Huey Grey]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

She better get paid while she can. Because she's out on her ass her next election.

 

[Chishawk1425]

She better get paid while she can. Because she's out on her ass her next election.

She'll be paid a fortune by right wing dark money to sabotage the Dem running as an Independent.

 

[torbee]

Attention whore

 

[RNHawk]

She better get paid while she can. Because she's out on her ass her next election.

Doubt it

 

[Huey Grey]

Doubt it

She stands zero chance of reelection.

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Agreed. Far more important than what parts she belongs to is the fact her glasses work for her. They give her a bad girl librarian vibe. I'd definitely give her 22 seconds of shame and sadness.

22 seconds? Braggart.

 

[RNHawk]

She stands zero chance of reelection.

If a democrat doesn’t run she wins, if not then the republican wins, so like people have said above do the democrats want the seat or not. I’d vote for Sinema and a lot of my conservative friends here in AZ have said the same

 

[franklinman]

Manchin and her still hold some power if they act in unison.

You forgot, 2 years only. She will be history after that.

 

[DeangeloVickers]

We should all be celebrating this but instead the usual party mouthpieces immediately go on attack.
The less power the 2 parties have the better, even if it's just small moves like this.
And absolutely would.

 

[MitchLL]

I doubt she's a popular Democrat.

This actually helps AZ Dems knowing two years out that they can promote their nominee.

 

[luvmyhawks]

Good for her. I wouldn’t want to identify as republican or democrat either. Nothing like toeing that party line. At the end of the day, she is going to vote how she is going to vote. One of the few left out there that doesn’t just do what she is told.

 

[Huey Grey]

I doubt she's a popular Democrat.

This actually helps AZ Dems knowing two years out that they can promote their nominee.

She has a -20 popularity rating with the Dems. Her popularity is actually higher with the Rs. She's done for reelection.

 

[Huey Grey]

If a democrat doesn’t run she wins, if not then the republican wins, so like people have said above do the democrats want the seat or not. I’d vote for Sinema and a lot of my conservative friends here in AZ have said the same

Even if the Dems run nobody against her, she's cooked. Mark Kelly only won by 5 points and the Dems actually like him. She has bottom of the basement approval with the Dems. Hope she enjoys fitting into the Republican party when she is applying for jobs to FoxNews in 2025.