Another Angle: Senator Sinema at the American Center

Recently a small group of colleagues and I had the opportunity to participate in a Zoom call with Senator Sinema (D-AZ) to discuss politics, infrastructure and taxation. I would like to posit that at this time in our history, no politician exemplifies The American Center better than Senator Sinema, who has a unique personality for a Senator, evidenced by her colorful dress and wigs, confident to walk a road less traveled by herself. Progressives who are frustrated with Sinema for opposing a bigger spending bill, and conservatives who are frustrated that she still supports massive new spending, both agree that Sinema has a mind of her own.

 Senator Sinema is extremely knowledgeable, highly confident, and not the least bit rattled by recent attacks on her from the left of her own party. Although she did not disclose anything she had not already stated publicly, she did emphasize the fact she sees a way to get new social programs launched without damaging the economy. She has been consistently public in her opposition to tight price controls on the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, but favors some federal help for access to off patent drugs. She believes in the entrepreneurial economy and what it does for Arizona and the US. Substantively she still wants to see progress on the same issues as the Progressive Democrats, but at a more incremental pace.

 In her published book on politics, “Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win and Last,” Sinema makes it clear she came into politics as a fire breathing liberal, but quickly learned that in a purple state like Arizona, progress required that she roll up her sleeves and design workable programs that were accountable to taxpayers. Senator Sinema is being threatened by her own party with being “primaried,” meaning she may face a well financed Democratic opponent on the left. Now that she is actually true to her word, she is criticized and attacked in the media for failing to be more accessible.