Why is that some elected Democrats [View all]

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

Why is it that some elected Democrats—particularly Senators like Sinema, Fetterman, and now Gallego—campaign as progressives, win their elections with the help, energy, and votes of progressive organizers and voters… only to pivot to centrist or even conservative governance once they’re in office?

They end up catering to the same moderate and conservative voters who didn’t vote for them and likely never will. And spare me the tired excuse that they’re from “purple states” so they have to govern this way. That logic doesn’t hold when you consider two things:
1. They won their seats because of progressives, not in spite of them.
2. Republicans in purple states (with the exception of maybe Susan Collins) don’t moderate their positions—they double down on their conservatism. Just look at Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

What’s even more frustrating is the case of Gallego. He ran against Sinema precisely because she abandoned progressive values and cozied up to the right. Yet now, barely in office, he’s already echoing her approach—basically turning into Sinema 2.0.

It’s a betrayal of the very people who put them there.