Sinema Misses the Point About Party Politics
The partisan system actually makes lawmaking easier, and voters benefit when they can distinguish between Republicans and Democrats.
Parties matter more than you think.
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema declared herself a Marxist on Friday. Not Karl; Groucho. As in, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.” She felt compelled to leave the Democrats, she explained, because of the “broken partisan system” and said that she had “joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics.”
Declaring herself an independent might not make a huge difference within the Senate if she continues, as she said she will, voting and behaving the same way on the job. It’s too soon to conclude how it will affect her re-election chances in 2024 if she runs, or whatever else she plans to do.