Literally, a comment. The below is from Jason, a commenter here. I wanted to allow it more prominence in the site's main body.
What Jason remarks about Sinema fascinated me, in that it made me reflect on the politicians I've known over the years. They wouldn't be politicians if they weren't (usually) "intelligent," as well as "tenacious, competitive," and so on. Definitely ego-driven. But Sinema would seem to stand out in being a "self-involved braggart" — which makes me question the level of her intelligence. Prone as many pols might be to self-centered braggadocio, normally they subdue the impulse. It's a bad look, notwithstanding Trump's — and, it appears, Sinema's — success at it.
Anyway, try imagining negotiating a $3.5 trillion spending package with this:
I once spent a week with Kyrsten Sinema some ten years ago when we were working in Africa. As two Americans in a very foreign land, we befriended each other, had dinner together almost every night where we enjoyed some fierce debates, traveled, stayed in the same hotel, and so I got to know her pretty well. This was when she was a representative in the Arizona state legislature. I’m not at all surprised by her recent
political behavior. She’s extremely intelligent, tenacious, independent, and competitive. But my Lord, a more ego-driven, stubborn, self-involved braggart I have never met. Completely unself-aware, her arrogance and need to dominate conversation became a bit of a behind-her-back running joke among our other companions. I remember clearly a discussion we had in a taxi where I told her that a problem I have with most politicians is their inability or refusal to engage in any sort of self-reflection or self-criticism. She was dismissive of my comment; it didn’t register with her one bit. And now here she is, poised to halt so much longed-for progress that would lift the quality of life for millions. I think she’s partly doing it to cater to her more conservative constituency (which is stupid), but really, I think she’s doing it because she can. She craves power and attention. Her name’s all over the news. She loves fucking with anyone who would try to corral her. Her stated reasons for not supporting the spending bill are non-sensical, but she’s wholly incapable of admitting error.