How can someone change their political views so radically. I am referring to Kyrsten Sinema

[JohnSJ]

This is from Wikipedia, so it might be prudent to take it with a grain of salt until verified, but it is a huge shift from where she came:


previously:

"Sinema began her political career in the Arizona Green Party before joining the Arizona Democratic Party in 2004.

In 2000, Sinema worked on Ralph Nader's presidential campaign.[29] In 2001 and 2002, she ran for local elected offices as an independent and lost.[24] In 2002, The Arizona Republic published a letter from Sinema criticizing capitalism. "Until the average American realizes that capitalism damages her livelihood while augmenting the livelihoods of the wealthy, the Almighty Dollar will continue to rule", she wrote.[30]

While in the Green Party, Sinema was its local spokesperson, working to repeal the death penalty and organizing antiwar protests.[31] She had organized 15 antiwar rallies by the time the Iraq War began.[24] She also opposed the war in Afghanistan.[24] During a February 15, 2003 protest in Patriot's Square Park in Phoenix, a group led by Sinema distributed flyers portraying a U.S. servicemember as a skeleton "inflicting 'U.S. terror' in Iraq and the Middle East".[24] (A representative of Sinema has said that Sinema did not "approve or design" the flyers.[32]) In a 2003 opinion piece, Sinema declared that Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush were "the real Saddam and Osama lovers".[32] When asked on a local radio show whether she would oppose someone joining the Taliban and fighting on its behalf, Sinema responded, "Fine ... I don't care if you want to do that, go ahead."[24] During 2005 and 2006, Sinema co-hosted a radio show with 9/11 truther Jeff Farias.[24]"

and today:

"Following her election to Congress, Sinema shifted toward the political center, joining the conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition and the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and amassing a "reliably moderate-Democratic" voting record.[77] Sinema worked for the adoption of the DREAM Act,[78] even hiring DREAM Act advocate Erika Andiola as a district outreach staffer.[79]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrsten_Sinema#Early_political_involvement

[Historic NY]

1. Anything to get elected....Green Party...

Nader....what's her face movie person...etc.

[JohnSJ]

2. I guess

[Bettie]

3. Cash.

She's found out how lucrative being a Senator can be.

Now, it seems she may be Moscow Mitch's bestie.

[JohnSJ]

5. It sure has been a major shift going from an anti-capitalist Nader supporter to being a blue dog

[Demsrule86]

23. I have often thought Greens were not Green and were more Republican than Democratic myself.

And consider Greens would rather see Republicans elected rather than Democrats.

[JohnSJ]

30. They definitely march to a different drummer, which doesn't coincide with the greater good

[Thrill]

4. Lobbyist. Follow the Money

[NewHendoLib]

6. $$$$ and/or narcissism

[Doc Sportello]

7. I know she had a difficult upbringing

Last edited Thu May 13, 2021, 11:03 AM - Edit history (1)

She has always been different, from her clothing choices to coming out as openly bisexual several years ago. I don't know but I am beginning to think she enjoys being a contrarian. But she would probably still win re-election as a Democrat. I don't believe any Democrat running to the left of her in a primary would win the general.

[Elessar Zappa]

8. Mark Kelley just won in Arizona

and he’s to the left of Sinema. I think if she does block Biden’s plans she should be primaried.

[Doc Sportello]

11. Not comparable

First of all, Kelly is a male astronaut hero who ran in the center. He also ran in a year when a Democrat presidential candidate carried Arizona for the first time in a generation. If you look at their voting records and stances Kelly is no left-winger. If he ran that way he would lose.

And just who would primary her? I know Arizona politics and there is no one currently who could beat her in a primary and then WIN in the general running to the left of her. It may feel good to punish someone like her but not so much you lose a Senate seat and perhaps the Senate.

[Elessar Zappa]

12. I know he's not a left winger.

But he is a mainstream Democrat, unlike Sinema. Maybe someone else wouldn’t win the general but I do think she’s in danger of losing a primary if she obstructs everything Biden wants to do.

[wellst0nev0ter]

31. Doc said "to the left of Sinema"

Doc didn't say Kelly was a left winger.

The minimum wage vote alone shows that Kelly is to the left of Sinema.

This is not controversial in the least.

And primarying politicians is one way to hold them accountable.

[Demsrule86]

24. We would lose.

[Elessar Zappa]

27. Maybe, maybe not.

Arizona is not West Virginia. It’s a purple state, similar to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. And it’s trending in our direction.

[wellst0nev0ter]

32. Run another Mark Kelly

and we will win.

[Happy Hoosier]

9. Although I am not thrilled with record so far....

She is still better than ANY repuke who would take her place. AZ is purple-ish leaning to red. It's a freaking miracle we have 2 D Senators from that state.

[JohnSJ]

10. Sure, it also gives us the majority. The motivation of the OP was a report which indicated

that she assured McConnell that she would not support any tax increases to help pay for the infrastructure bill:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142742543

If that report is accurate, then it is unlikely that an infrastructure bill will pass

[Happy Hoosier]

17. Yup... and that's terrible. But really the only thing we can do...

is to publicly embarrass her and win enough Senate seats next year to make her irrelevant.

[JohnSJ]

19. I don't think embarrassing her would be the answer to convince someone. Winning enough

Senate seats in 2022 would be the ideal solution.

In the meantime, trying to reason with her why the tax increases on those most able to afford it, and have been paying less than their fair share for decades is the way to go

[Happy Hoosier]

22. My guess is your position is not a rational one.

She is staking out this "moderate" (it's not) position because she thinks she needs to politicly.

She MIGHT be convinced if the narrative becomes that she is protecting the rich and corporations instead of fixing infrastructure, which might cause some political pressure on her.

[wellst0nev0ter]

33. This is the type of complacency that handed government to the Teabaggers

Back in 2010-2014. Sure we had a supermajority of Democrats, but they were low-quality politicians that struggled to pass a meaningful agenda, defunded ACORN, and ended up losing to the goops.

No more settling for less. Push for better Democrats now.

[Doremus]

35. Agree x 1000. Well said. nt

[JI7]

13. With her it doesn't seem to always be about issues but self promotion

and other things.

[brooklynite]

14. Maybe when she switched from the Green Party to the Democratic Party she saw the need to be serious

She represents people in Arizona, a State that has never elected a Green to office.

[JohnSJ]

15. Serious? ok

[Elessar Zappa]

16. Siding with McConnell makes her "serious"?

Uh huh.

[ChrisF1961]

21. This is serious?

[Act_of_Reparation]

18. Cynicism.

They never had those views to begin with. Likely, they don't have any views at all. This is a job. A means to an end. A path to power. Or whatever. This type of person exists even within our own party. The question is, does their cynicism ultimately benefit society in some tangible way despite their motivations? We can certainly have that discussion. LBJ was famously this type of person.

[ChrisF1961]

20. Ambition!

[W_HAMILTON]

25. Horseshoe Theory.

[New Breed Leader]

26. DING DING DING

Right answer.

[chowder66]

29. +1

[Irish_Dem]

36. It's more than political ideology for her, she is way too happy when she votes

against Dem policies. It's personal for her, with a lot of external rewards for her.

[Crunchy Frog]

28. Maybe she just doesn't have any real principles, and takes on whatever coloration

that will suit her interests at any given time. Just speculation, as I can't know what's in someone else's mind.

Maybe she's just a contrarian.

[Leith]

34. Susceptibility to the sales pitch

Many people can't resist a sales pitch - a nice young man or woman flattering you, saying what you want to hear, paying attention to you, and so on. I think that's what mcturtle and a couple other rethugs did to Sinema (I don't know it for a fact, I just know it's true).