At some point, the extremely left-leaning Kyrsten Sinema had an epiphany. Politics were less about ideology and more about finding common ground and getting things done. In addition, she had John McCain as a role model. She would be an independent voice working with both parties to make America a better place.
The vision sounds plausible, but it comes with three problems. First, McCain, in spite of a few notable deviations, mostly adhered to the GOP party line. Second, if your intention is to work with both parties, you need to explain what you want, and why. Sinema doesn’t do that; displaying independence seems to be the objective, not a means to an end. Finally, Sinema seems to delight in tweaking the left. How does that help her make deals with them?
Manchin, I get. He tells the world what he wants, and he is willing to make deals. He really should be viewed as a Republican with an economic populist streak that doesn’t fit in the current GOP. With Sinema, who knows?