Whither Bothsiderism?

Sinema slinks away and Received Opinion with Bolt Upright is ON IT!

BOLT UPRIGHT: Good evening, I’m Bolt Upright, and this is Received Opinion.

[Music. Screen behind UPRIGHT: The head of Senator KYRSTEN SINEMA backed by a halo of light, with the chyron THE END OF COMITY? underneath.]

A terrible blow has been struck to the causes of civility and compromise as Senator Kyrsten Sinema withdraws from the 2024 Senate race. Let’s listen to some of her announcement:

[Video of SINEMA’s announcement:]

SINEMA: In 2017, I warned we were approaching a crossroads. Our democracy was weakened by government dysfunction and the constant pull to the extremes by both political parties.  I promised I would do my best to fix it... We’ve arrived at that crossroad. And we chose anger and division. I believe in my approach. But it is not what America wants right now.

[Back to UPRIGHT:]

UPRIGHT: Sinema’s withdrawal, along with the imminent departure of Joe Machin of West Virginia, leaves the Democrats in Congress in the grip of radical leftists like Chuck Schumer and Amy Klobuchar. Perhaps it’s time to ask: How did America fail Kyrsten Sinema?

[Camera pulls back to show a mini-Decision Desk, toward which UPRIGHT moves; seated there is a balding-with-ponytail white fiftysomething wearing a blue shirt, blue fleece vest and tortoise shell half-glasses.]

To help answer that question we’ve invited to our show the editor of centrist magazine Cahiers du Sinema, Zachariah Trimmer. Mr. Timmer —

TRIMMER: Call me Zach, please.

UPRIGHT: Is Senator Sinema right? Has America really rejected this lovely youngish woman’s vision of compromise, cooperation, and compatriotism?