Assuming Sinema thought there was going to be a red wave,

[Baitball Blogger]

did she think she was going to make the switch at a time that the GOP was going to take the Senate?

If so, this move to Independent would have cemented Sinema's power grab had things gone the way most of these midterm elections go. All she really needed was for Warnock to lose in Georgia and she could have stepped over the aisle and handed the Senate to the Republicans, which would have put her in the catbird's seat in 2024, running as a Republican.

Once again, a big thank you to the Georgia voters.

[CottonBear]

1. As our senior Senator would say, we worked our 🍑ssoff

to re-elect his brother, Reverend Warnock!
🗳🍑🇺🇸💙

[Johnny2X2X]

2. I don't think she thought she would join the GOP caucus

She’s still a lot more Dem than GOP. I think it’s with the 2024 primaries in mind. No more, no less.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Would she still have her current committees if the Republicans controlled the Senate?

If she was in danger of losing those committees, I believe she would have made the switch. The Republicans would have probably rewarded her with committee assignments.

And right now the only thing that is keeping her afloat is big money donations from corporations. That isn't a great recipe for success in an election as a Democrat.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. She knew last month

This was timed to not ruin the Georgia election for Dems. Yeah, I think she’s looking out for herself, but I also think Schumer was told before hand and had her wait to announce it.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

20. THIS

Her switch has been anticipated quite a bit in local reporting for the past year. The reaction from Democratic leadership has mostly been "enh," so I think they knew it was coming and also knew she wasn't going to switch caucuses.

She did what she had to do to give herself a shot at reelection.

[W_HAMILTON]

23. How would her announcement have ruined the Georgia election for Dems?

If she had announced she was switching to Independent prior to the Georgia runoff, I assume that most Democrats would have taken that to mean that she could no longer be counted on as a Democrat, which would mean that Senate control was up for grabs once again, which should have made Democrats even more motivated to get out and vote.

How do you figure otherwise?

[Johnny2X2X]

24. I think the Senate not being up for grabs in GA

Hurt Republicans. They weren’t all that excited about Walker, but would have turned up if the Senate had been on the line.

[W_HAMILTON]

25. That's true, but I think the same could be said for Democrats.

Republicans might have been more inclined to vote, but I'm sure there were also some Democrats that sat out knowing that Senate control was not in play. And we have history to point to at how we fare in that state when Senate control is up for grabs, and it favored Democrats in 2020.

[hatrack]

5. She is whatever she thinks is best for her at any given moment

.

[GreenWave]

3. She certainly did NOT campaign for any Arizona Democrats.

Miss Bothsiderism was very careful about that.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

6. Who would want her campaigning?

Gallego has been all sanctimonious about this, but she’s at 10% popularity and the base hates her. She was a pariah before leaving the party. Who are all these Arizona Democrats who were wanting her endorsement?

[GreenWave]

7. Nobody would.

But why would that stop her from endorsing anyone?

10% is very low. Is the Plague more popular?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

8. So people who don't want her campaigning for them

Are mad she didn’t campaign for them. How deeply unserious…

[Better Days Ahoy]

9. Nixon's approval rating was higher at the height of Watergate

So there's that.

[former9thward]

12. Where is this 10% coming from?

Please don't cite that internet "poll".

[AZSkiffyGeek]

17. It's been widely reported for at least a year

That she's around 10% with Dems. I don't know what internet "poll" you mean.
Edit: I take that back - I did see some unsourced graphic showing she was unpopular across the board. But I've been seeing the D numbers since pretty much Summer 2021, albeit with higher numbers among Rs and Is.

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. Kelly's success was proof that an AZ Senator does not have to pander

to the right to win in this state.

She is not popular with anyone - including independents - and the Republicans that applaud her only for her obstruction will loyally vote for whatever idiot gets the GOP nomination.

[former9thward]

13. Kelly did not have that much success.

He only got 51% of the vote running against a deeply flawed candidate. No one had even ever heard of Masters before the primary.

If you are in AZ you will note Kelly's commercials constantly attacked Biden "when he's wrong and doesn't get it on the boarder"

[AZSkiffyGeek]

18. Kelly ran the EXACT same campaign that Sinema did

And barely beat another flawed candidate. If Republicans run a sane candidate (or at least a not crazy candidate) they win. The idea that Arizona is turning blue is questionable.
I personally don't think Gallego can win statewide, and I find his complaining that Sinema didn't campaign for him to be insincere, especially since I got a fundraising text from him within 15 minutes of Sinema announcing she was leaving the party, asking for money even though he wasn't announcing a run.

[not fooled]

21. Yeah, Kelly has to walk a fine line

so as to not turn off the many, many low information AZ voters who would not vote for him if they thought he was too "left."

(I know these people; I live among them, for now. Basically clueless and a lot of Fox watchers.)

[llashram]

11. always opportunistic

and as I have watched, extremely compromised by big money donations. She will not change. The big money donates, she owes.

[republianmushroom]

15. that is my guess. She and moscow Mitch though AZ would go red.

[relayerbob]

16. The Arizone GQP doesn't like her any more than the Dems do

She's most likely surrendered any future political office with this move.

[Wibly]

19. Big logic holes

For example, what makes you think her constituents would re-elect her if she jointed the GOP?
Also, if she was going to do that, why wouldn't she just go GOP anyway? It would at least give her resources and support.
I'll tell you why, because she knows she would not be elected as a GOPer!
Time to stop trying to smear and demonize Sinema, and start working to find a suitable and widely respected DEM to run against her in her home seat.
This post real is a baitball, but the ball is soft on logic.

[Onama Biden Man]

22. I love that she has torched her own political career

Had she not behaved like a blatantly corrupt chaotic narcissist, and had she not worked to obstruct major legislation that President Biden tried to pass, her reelection would have been all but guaranteed. She did this to herself. After 2024 her political career will pass into oblivion (though she will likely be a lobbyist and Fox News contributor. It’s what grifters like Sinema and Tulsi Gabbard would do).