I think I understand Synema

[drray23]

She has no clear policy positions or political convictions. Over the years she went from being green to Democrat to barely one .

I think she is in over her head and all she can do is performance art. Remember the extravagant outfits, the little curtsy after voting against the $15.00 per hour bill, the refusal to engage in any interviews or serious debates or to clarify her position on the reconciliation bill.

When asked about where she stands she replies " in front of the elevator" thinking it's funny. All she is doing now is trolling . I don't think it's based on political goals. She is just trolling her way through her 6 years and then will get a job on some board and not run again.

[msongs]

1. 12 year old nt

[Tribetime]

23. You're being generous

[XanaDUer2]

2. She is an unserious person

that elevator remark is stupid

[AleksS]

3. I could see that. She has adopted the GOP mindset of

politics as performance art, and not policymaking.

All those antics seem to point directly to someone who never really understood what being a public servant meant--just someone who wanted to "be a Senator."

It's very much a Marjorie Greene, Boebert, or Gaetz mentality.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

11. She's a back bencher who got pushed into the spotlight

Her performance art was fun until she had to start making tough votes. She’s always watched her right flank, and always portrayed herself as a Democratic answer to McCain. It got her elected and made her popular in a swing district and then a purple state.
She could shore up her Maverick bonafides while not stopping the Democratic agenda when she was in the House, and in the minority in the Senate.
That ended this year and she’s flailing stupidly and desperately trying to get out of the spotlight while still wanting to play her maverick role. But she can’t hide anymore since her curtsy put her front and center for the press.
So she runs around giving cutesy answers to serious questions which just makes it worse for her. She’s more concerned about losing her maverick reputation and support from moderates and independents than advancing legislation.

[thucythucy]

17. Ever since Sarah Palin the word "maverick"

sounds so stupid to me.

It doesn't help that self described "mavericks" are usually dumb as a bag of rocks.

The "maverick" part starts at three minutes.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

22. It's a situational maverick-ness as well

If there were 49 Yes votes, she wouldn't be the lone no. She won't sink a bill all by herself.
But if there are 51 Yes votes and hers isn't needed, she's gonna maverick the hell out of her meaningless no vote.

[certainot]

34. good take imo

[betsuni]

36. Good friends with Meghan McCain, can't talk about John McCain without getting weepy.

She really does seem to think she's a Democratic McCain, that she's "fiercely independent."

I think she's the type of person who adopts the opinions of whoever she's around. Pals around with Green Party types, she a Green. Around Democrats, a Democrats. Now Republicans. Sinema said Meghan and she sometimes text each other even in the middle of the night. My theory is they're sharing what wild outfights/hairstyles they'll troll the libs with the next day. Ugh.

[enough]

15. Yes. No interest in actual politics -- it's all just a media/ performance mindset .

And in this world, she’ll probably find success on that path.

[onetexan]

53. +1 -K&R

[madaboutharry]

4. She isn't a stupid person.

She has both Law degree and a Ph.D. It takes a certain degree of intellect to earn post graduate degrees. So it isn’t that. But one thing to remember is that academic success doesn’t always translate into becoming a grounded adult.

I think she is one of those people who never figured out what they actually believe in. She seems to have stopped maturing sometime in adolescence. She reminds me of a 15 year old acting out for attention.

[totodeinhere]

5. The smart ones are the most dangerous.

At least most MAGA supporters are stupid.

[drray23]

6. I don't think she is stupid.

You can be smart, educated in one area and yet be inept at being a public servant. That's especially true if you do not have a strong core set of beliefs. It's essential for a politician.

[BradAllison]

12. She supposedly graduated college at 18.

Do you buy that?

[Celerity]

46. She turned 19 a month or so after graduation from BYU in 1995.

Nothing shocking there.

[TomSlick]

16. Gee, I don't know.

My wife is a college professor and I am a lawyer.

We know lots of folks with a PhD or JD who could not pour urine from a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel.

[qazplm135]

18. As an attorney

I can vouch for the fact that plenty of stupid people get law degrees. The ability to pass law school and the bar is intelligence but it's a fairly narrow intelligence.

[luvtheGWN]

39. And memorization.

The ability to read and remember past cases is critical to getting a law degree. It's not really necessary to "think", only to remember what you've read. Ted Cruz (photographic memory) is a good example.

JMHO, of course

[madaboutharry]

47. Wrong.

Success in law school in more than memorization. It actually requires thinking.

[thucythucy]

49. I would imagine it depends on the law school.

Do Pepperdine and Liberty U. have law schools?

Of course getting a law degree and passing the bar are two different things.

Just like getting an MD as an ophthalmologist and being board certified are quite different (looking at you, Rand Paul).

[Bev54]

7. I do think you are correct but I wonder how well she will do

in any other job, if this is a sample of her work ethic or ethics at all.

[moondust]

8. As I was just wondering.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215907356#post16

[BradAllison]

9. I never hear of her on the Sunday shows doing an interview

I don't think she can actually discuss policy.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

24. She noticeably avoids it

I think it's just trying to fly under the radar.

[lame54]

10. None of that explains why she votes AGAINST the party...

She can have no convictions, be over her head and vote FOR the party

She's compromised

[drray23]

13. She maybe trying to act maverick

like McCain did on ACA. Only, she has no political skills to pull it off. Of course that does not preclude that lobbyists have gotten to her as well.

[Demguy81]

14. I agree 100%

Posted this in another thread, but I think it applies here as well.

Bit of a tangent, but it reminds me of Robert Ebert's (RIP) review of the terrible movie Battlefield Earth:

"The director, Roger Christian, has learned from better films that directors sometimes tilt their cameras,"..."but he has not learned why"

I think the same thing applies to Sinema. She saw McCain's "maverick" tendencies, but has never bothered to delve deep in his strategy, thinking rather naively, "If I just vote against my party, people will respect me like McCain".

[qazplm135]

19. McCain

Was still mostly Republican. He picked his spots.

[drray23]

20. Sure I agree but he was also a skilled politician which synema is not.nt.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

27. She's only a maverick when her vote has no consequences

If the bill's already passed, or already failed, she'll be a maverick. But I don't think she has (or would) singlehandedly sink a bill.

I think she also made a calculation that her votes this year wouldn't affect her in 2024 - and they may not - it is still a long way away. If shit isn't sank in 2022, the general public MIGHT forget her antics by 2024.

[jcgoldie]

21. fox news token "democrat" waiting to happen

Attention seeker.

[BlueLucy]

25. I think you're spot on!

[hamsterjill]

26. I don't care.

Someone needs to make her understand that the office she was elected to makes policy that affects many. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. It is life or death for some people especially as to the Medicare part.

Dems need to get tough with her in ways that she (herself) might understand. Do whatever is necessary.

[LymphocyteLover]

33. yes, the stakes are too huge to fail, I refuse to believe she can't be reasoned with at all

[BigmanPigman]

28. Classic DINO!

[Joinfortmill]

29. Horrible situation.

Biden's agenda hangs on her.

[hadEnuf]

30. I think I understand Synema now too.

She's a bought off Trojan Horse Republican.

[tinrobot]

31. She's a nacissist who craves attention and wants to be a non-conformist.

The wacky outfits are one thing that gets her lots of attention.

Her original embrace of the Green party is a total non-conformist move. Being a non-conformist is a way for her to feel special and get attention. It sets her apart from the crowd.

Now that she's being pressured to conform as a Democrat, she rebels against that. She just can't do something so conformist.

Plus, rebelling against her own party gets her even more attention.

[LymphocyteLover]

32. Rachel Maddow pointed out last night that Sinema supposedly really cares about climate change

which makes her actions recently all the more bizarre.

[TheDemsshouldhireme]

35. I got a bad feeling on her

Last edited Wed Sep 29, 2021, 11:34 PM - Edit history (4)

The curtsy on the minimum wage was a warning sign. Heck I don't know a whole lot of employers who aren't willing to pay 15 bucks an hour for help, yet she voted it down with gusto, and I live in smaller town Pennsylvania. The growing talk about creeping authoritarianism, pack the courts, nationalism, attack the media. us against them, if I dont win elections are rigged, gets you a cult of personality like Trump. Next step, an opportunist as shallow as a puddle with no core convictions like DT, well is appears Ms. Sinema has that in spades. Sinema is also looking like the court jester who could come out and change parties and flip the senate to the republicans. She's the Kim K of the senate. There's no there...there. Discount her totally flipping at your own risk. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Two names, Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller.

Yeah Biden took office in 21 and I couldnt believe the woman with the fuck off ring would do us dirty.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

43. That vote was of no consequence

The amendment failed without her vote, and it had already been ruled as not germaine for the reconciliation bill. Biden acknowledged that and dropped it.
Bernie had no business introducing the amendment except to showboat.

And I think the thumbs down thing was just "her voting thing" - I've seen her do similar for other bills, both voting for and against. I'm reasonably sure it's because McCain did it.

But man, what a shitty look.

[mshasta]

38. If we can get few republicans on our side, we don't need her

We need to stop trying to figure this woman , she is 0 , nada,

[BlueCheeseAgain]

45. Sinema has a much more liberal voting record than any Republican.

The gulf between the most conservative Democrat and most liberal Republican is just gigantic.

[betsuni]

40. More likely than the popular "beholden to wealthy donors/corporations" thing, as if the only

possible motivation is money.

I know the corporate-Democrats-are-heholden/corrupt lie about Democrats has been around for years and repeated so often by sources calling themselves "progressives" that people get it into their heads it must be true. It's a silly black-or-white pure-or-immoral good-or-evil us-or-them populist technique. Real people have all sorts of motivations.

[SharonAnn]

41. She's just the "mascot" for the men who run things. Wants to be one of them.

[jalan48]

42. She's an opportunist to the max.

[uponit7771]

51. +1, damn near every turn she acts as if she wants something else

[BlueCheeseAgain]

44. I don't think that's fair.

I understand the frustration with her current behavior on the big reconciliation package. And the evolution from Green Party leftist to conservative Democrat is unusual for sure.

But I don't think there's evidence to say she's dumb, and in fact a fair amount of evidence to the contrary. She was high school valedictorian, graduated college as a teenager, and has three postgraduate degrees. She served three terms in the Arizona House and another term in the Arizona Senate, and served three terms as a congresswoman before winning her U.S. Senate seat. Her election was the first Democratic win in Arizona in 30 years. All told she's been a legislator for 16 years now-- she's not some ingenue.

Do I really, really, really wish she would support the reconciliation package, or at the very least, make it clearer what she needs in order for her to support it? Of course. But I don't think she's an airhead-- far from it.

[uponit7771]

52. Humans can be categorically stupid despite their accolades and accomplishments though I agree

... with you that she most likely very well educated she checks all the marks for a megalomaniac.

My understating of the makeup of Arizona is leaning blue way more than she's acting

[sellitman]

48. Follow the money

Her corporate benefactors tell her how she should vote. It's pretty simple.

[dalton99a]

50. Arizona Dems were scammed good