With Kyrsten Sinema out, Arizonans must now choose between anger and division

“Compromise is a dirty word.”

So said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema as she revealed she would not seek reelection. In the months previous, she kept mum on her plans, perhaps hoping polls would change in her direction.

No such luck for Arizona’s first independent senator.

She ultimately came to the same conclusion as the previous occupant of her seat, Republican Sen. Jeff Flake. This is no time to step across the aisle or hash out bipartisan agreements.

Lots of lawmakers are hanging it up

To succeed in politics these days, take a maximalist position, refuse the slightest compromise, and brag about all the bills you killed on cable news.

Our current politics of outrage has chased out many legislators.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted by a baker’s dozen of his own representatives. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recently announced he’s stepping down.

In all, eight senators and 42 members of the House have decided not to run for reelection. It’s hard to blame them. Why remain on Capitol Hill when you’re guaranteed never to accomplish anything?

Arizona’s open seat will go to either Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego or Republican Kari Lake. Either of them will fit in better with the do-nothing backbiters dominating Washington these days.

Our nation was founded on compromise

Modern politicians and most voters have forgotten the ugly truth of the legislative branch: It’s compromise all the way down.

Our foundational document, the U.S. Constitution, was an endless series of compromises between differing biases, philosophies and factions. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Both sides must part with some of their demands in order that they may join in some accommodating proposition.”

Across the pond, the Parliament was working along the same principles.

“All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter,” British conservative philosopher Edmund Burke said.

“We balance inconveniences; we give and take; we remit some rights, that we may enjoy others; and we choose rather to be happy citizens than subtle disputants.”

Compromise was Sinema's wheelhouse

There are few current legislators who would agree with Ronald Reagan, who said, “if you got 75 or 80 percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later.”

Yet even back in the ‘80s he got pushback from those he labeled “radical conservatives.”

Like many Americans, I don’t care for compromise. I strive to stand my ground and fight for what I believe in. And that’s why I never worked in electoral politics.

As much grief as politicians get, they’re in the compromise business. I couldn’t do it, but someone has to figure out what all sides want and hammer out an agreement that will please at least 51% of them.

Why Sinema's departure: Hurts Arizona, the nation

That was Sinema’s wheelhouse. She made friends across the political divides, listened to everyone’s concerns and cajoled all to get on board.

I disagree with her on most issues but never got the sense she hated me for it. But to succeed in today’s Beltway, hating the other side is the chief qualification.

So, now, the choice is Lake or Gallego

“Compromise is a dirty word. We’ve arrived at that crossroad, and we chose anger and division,” Sinema said.

So in November, Arizonans get to choose either Ruben Anger or Kari Division.

Both will prove how much they hate the other side. They will brag to their bases about ideological purity, and condemn even those in their own party who dare waver.

Anger and Division will tell Arizona’s new independent majority that they secretly admired Sinema’s bipartisan record. They will be lying.

In more ordinary times, Sinema never would have left her party and would easily be the front-runner on Election Day.

But these are far from ordinary times.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On X, formerly Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Senate choice now: Either Ruben Anger or Kari Division