Playbook: “The conventional wisdom of American politics is that the two-party system makes it difficult, albeit not impossible, to win as an independent. In the Senate, Bernie Sanders and Angus King have done so, but they are pretty much viewed as Democrats by another name, and the state and national party organizations have never marshaled resources to defeat them.”
“Sinema won’t be in the same boat. She’s bucked her party many a time and made rare alliances with Republicans. While she will be accepting committee seats from Schumer, she appears to be distancing herself from the Democratic caucus, and because of that, she risks being secluded on a political island.”
“While Biden and Schumer have so far been conciliatory, the state Democratic Party and a potential 2024 challenger, Rep. Ruben Gallego, have not — both attacking her for acting out of self-interest rather than the state’s interest.”
Politico: “While she’s always been a strong fundraiser, she would lack party resources — like a ground game — that are critical for voter turnout, particularly in a sprawling state like Arizona. Republicans in the state, even if some do support her, would not be expected to assist with that.”
Nate Silver: “Sinema was not very popular with anyone, I’m not sure whether today’s move increases or decreases her chances of winning another term (I actually suspect decreases) but they were low to begin with and they remain low.”
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