Why is that some elected Democrats

[USAFRetired_Liberal]

Why is it that some elected Democrats—particularly Senators like Sinema, Fetterman, and now Gallego—campaign as progressives, win their elections with the help, energy, and votes of progressive organizers and voters… only to pivot to centrist or even conservative governance once they’re in office?

They end up catering to the same moderate and conservative voters who didn’t vote for them and likely never will. And spare me the tired excuse that they’re from “purple states” so they have to govern this way. That logic doesn’t hold when you consider two things:
1. They won their seats because of progressives, not in spite of them.
2. Republicans in purple states (with the exception of maybe Susan Collins) don’t moderate their positions—they double down on their conservatism. Just look at Ron Johnson in Wisconsin.

What’s even more frustrating is the case of Gallego. He ran against Sinema precisely because she abandoned progressive values and cozied up to the right. Yet now, barely in office, he’s already echoing her approach—basically turning into Sinema 2.0.

It’s a betrayal of the very people who put them there.

[creon]

1. probably because

Probably because they are moderate or conservative.
they tell progressives what progressies want to hear bcause they want to hold office.
My feeling is they really do not want to do very much other than hold office,

[Silent Type]

2. To me, "progressive" is getting stuff passed that improves things OR limiting damages when in

the situation we are in. Sometimes, that takes doing stuff that ticks off a portion of Democrats. I have no idea if those you mention fall in that category.

Frankly, wish we had Manchin, etc., back right now.

[AZProgressive]

7. I blame Manchin for why Democrats lost the White House in 2024

He prevented Democrats from getting a lot of their best proposals passed and it didn't help him win another term in West Virginia. Democrats could have had a lot of accomplishments to point to as a reason to re-elect them.

[Silent Type]

9. Still better than the Republican who took his seat.

[Polybius]

3. What did Gallego do?

I missed it.

[AZProgressive]

6. He is pro Crypto

He also voted for the Laken Riley Act which removes due process from immigrants simply charged with a crime and that wasn't a good decision in hindsight with a lot of Bush era agencies acting like Trump's gestapo abducting people based on nothing more than suspicion.

He also had crypto lobbyists funding his campaign. That personally doesn't benefit with me as I have 0 interest in purchasing crypto. I trust AOC when she describes it as money laundering for wealthy people, scam for poor people.

[Celerity]

8. Ruben Gallego uses the 'purity' argument to defend his MAGA associations

The freshman Arizona senator defended hosting a ritzy fundraiser with an uber-rich Trump ally by saying the Democratic Party has become too “pure.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/shows/top-stories/blog/rcna206308

Depending on whom you ask, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is either the future of the Democratic movement or Kyrsten Sinema 2.0, a self-serving climber willing to abandon his party, and his stated principles, for personal gain.

The first-term senator has been trying to establish his identity as a straight-talking, MAGA-friendly liberal for several months now. During last year’s campaign, he aligned himself with the Phoenix Police Department by supporting its opposition to a federal consent decree after the Justice Department found that the police force had discriminated against racial minorities for years and violated the rights of homeless people. Earlier this year, he co-sponsored the Laken Riley Act, a MAGA-fueled anti-immigration bill that some of his colleagues denounced for its potential civil rights infringements — a seeming about-face for a lawmaker who once vocally opposed racial profiling.

And he drew backlash earlier this year when he co-hosted a ritzy fundraiser with Trump-supporting venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, whose technocratic “manifesto” in 2023 was derided in The New York Times as “A Tech Overlord’s Horrifying, Silly Vision for Who Should Rule the World.” But to hear Gallego tell it, he’s giving Democrats a model to follow.

Link to tweet

At a town hall Saturday in Pennsylvania, he defended his fundraiser with Andreessen, arguing that Democrats have become too “pure.” As Rolling Stone reported:

snip


The Sinema Playbook 2.0: Ruben Gallego's Rapid Rebranding

Why the people of Arizona are questioning Ruben Gallego’s commitment to progressive values in his early Senate days.

https://threesonorans.substack.com/p/the-sinema-playbook-20-ruben-gallegos

🌵 Ruben Gallego, once hailed as a champion for progressive values, has quickly transformed his Senate image, aligning himself with corporate interests similar to those of Kyrsten Sinema. 💼 Within weeks of taking office, he has supported legislation that empowers ICE 🚓, hosted a lavish donor retreat with high entry fees 💰, and received significant funding from crypto billionaires 🌐. This swift shift raises serious questions about his commitment to the communities that supported him 🤔 and whether he is prioritizing personal gain over the needs of the people he represents. 🏘️

🗝️ Takeaways

🌪️ Gallego's quick support of the Laken Riley Act raises concerns about his dedication to immigrant rights.

🏖️ Hosting a luxury donor retreat with a $5,000 entry fee shows a troubling disconnect from grassroots needs.

💰 A $10 million influx from crypto billionaire Marc Andreessen has serious implications for Gallego’s campaign integrity.

🏞️ The retreat's location on stolen Indigenous lands highlights ongoing social and environmental injustices in Arizona.

🤔 Many wonder if Gallego's rapid shift to corporate alliances was the plan all along.

snip

[W_HAMILTON]

4. Because certain progressives have turned experienced and tested Democrats into...

...the dreaded """Democratic establishment!!!1!""" so they will happily vote for a younger, newer face claiming to be progressive under the guise that they are automatically better because they are different.

Progressives need to vet themselves better -- dare I say, "clean up their own house first before trying to clean up someone else's."

[AZProgressive]

5. Gallego left the Progressive Caucus before he ran for Senate

Sinema used to be very liberal member of the state legislature and I actually voted for her over the Bill Clinton and Obama endorsed candidate when she first ran for Congress but right away she voted in a way that tended to favor Wall Street so I wasn't fooled by the time she became a Senator. I voted for Deedra Abboud in that primary knowing Sinema would turn out like she did.

As far as Gallego he left the Progressive Caucus and ran campaign ads on "the border". He also voted to sanction the ICC before he was elected to the Senate which was a different position than Pelosi or the Biden White House.