Social Media's Influence on Politics
How social media has become a tool in keeping public figures accountable
In an age where the vast majority of people are on some form of social media, it has become increasingly difficult for public figures to shy away from the spotlight of accountability. One such figure, Kyrsten Sinema, has recently discovered this reality. Social media played a role in growing her popularity then demonstrated how that same recognition would make it easier to hold her accountable from then on.
Who Is Kyrsten Sinema?
Kyrsten Sinema is a Democrat and the senior United States Senator from Arizona, serving since January 2019. After winning the 2018 Senate Election, against Republican nominee Martha McSally, Sinema took hold of the last Republican-held Senate seat in her state. With this win, Sinema became not only the first woman elected from Arizona but also the first openly bisexual woman elected to both the House of Representatives and Senate.
Long before becoming a member of the Senate Democratic caucus, Sinema originally started out with the Arizona Green Party as a far-left progressive. Then, in 2004 she switched over to the Arizona Democratic Party where she shortly began serving as a state representative for Arizona's 15th legislative district. After three terms she then became state senator from 2011 to 2012 and then United States Representative for Arizona's 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2019.
Rise In Popularity
On January 3, 2019, Sinema gained publicity and popularity after her oath of office ceremony became a topic of discussion on social media. Twitter users were quick to note that Sinema was being sworn in by Mike Pence, who holds a track record of opposing and voting against the rights of the LGBTQ community. Besides having to swear in the first openly bisexual woman in the Senate, Pence also had to swear Sinema in on a law book containing the U.S. Constitution, instead of the traditional Bible. A tweet, by @adamcbest, describing the awkwardness of the situation gained over 130,000 likes.
Many similar tweets followed, all gaining traction and skyrocketing Sinema as an LGBTQ woman icon.
Where Things Went Wrong
Things came to a crashing halt in March of 2021. When voting on whether or not to include a $15 minimum wage in the coronavirus relief package, Sinema and seven other members of the Senate Democratic caucus voted no. However, the way in which Sinema voted was the spark that set people off online. Sinema gave a condescending thumbs down-curtsy combination that resulted in immediate backlash for its lack of tact. Voting no on a higher federal minimum wage was already a slap in the face to the working class, the patronizing body language was an unnecessary and childish point.
Many were also quick to note the $118 Lululemon purse slung over Sinema’s shoulder, which would equate to almost 10 hours of work at the minimum wage of $12.15 in her state, Arizona. It seems highly unfair that people are struggling with a current federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, and Sinema, who makes $174,000/year, is making a joke out of voting no on a livable wage. The cherry on top of all of this? Sinema just so happened to bring a cake with her when the senate was voting on the wage increase. This immediately prompted “Marie Antoinette” to trend on Twitter as many compared this act to Antoinette’s infamous line “Let them eat cake." While the cake and her vote could be completely unrelated, I think it's reasonable to question what was going through Sinema’s mind when she decided to do this. Is a cake really the only snack one could bring to a meeting where they plan to vote no on increasing the minimum wage?
Sinema’s representatives were quick to respond, clarifying that Sinema brought the cake for “Senate floor staff forced to work through the night reading aloud the COVID-19 relief bill at the request of Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson.” Sinema’s spokeswoman, Hanna Hurley, also spoke to HuffPost about the criticism the senator was facing, stating that “Commentary about a female senator’s body language, clothing or physical demeanor does not belong in a serious media outlet.”
I believe that remarks made about Sinema’s body language and clothing have little to do with sexism and more to do with calling out her condescending behavior and hypocrisy. Sinema made a point to emphasize her downvote, and the comments about her expensive clothing and purse were to juxtapose the minimum wage she refused to give the struggling working class. A minimum wage she originally ran with, then discarded after she won. Something that Twitter users have not forgotten and have pointed out by quoting Sinema’s #RaiseTheWage tweet in mass.
Continued Controversy
Kyrsten Sinema managed to find herself in the headlines again in April after she posted a seemingly innocent photo of herself onto her Instagram story. The artsy brunch picture takes a distasteful turn after you realize the ring being flaunted says “Fuck Off.” Many speculate the ring is in response to the stream of backlash and criticism Sinema has been receiving since voting no on a $15 minimum wage.
Others have even gone as far as to compare Sinema to Melania Trump, in reference to the time Melania had the words “I really don’t care. Do you?” printed on the back of her jacket during her visit to a migrant child detention center. After consistently denying any meaning behind the jacket, Melania finally admitted her intent behind it, "It was for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me. I want to show them I don't care. You could criticize whatever you want to say. But it will not stop me to do what I feel is right.”
While Sinema has yet to comment on the controversy, I feel confident the ring is her quirky, mean-girl way of telling the people she’s supposed to represent that she doesn’t care about their criticisms and that their needs do not matter. Her explanation for why she voted no on raising the minimum wage is outlined in the tweet below but she didn’t actually explain why she did it in such a childish and condescending way. A public figure that is actually concerned with the issues of their constituents would have apologized instead of further antagonizing them with a “subtle” message. A miscalculation on Sinema’s part as she has quickly plummeted in likability and consistently finds herself trending for the wrong reasons.
If they haven’t already, public figures need to come to terms with the fact that everything they do and say is immortalized and spread across social media. A notable moment, like Kyrsten Sinema’s oath of office ceremony, can increase someone's popularity and likability, but a tasteless act can also accomplish the opposite. In today’s age, anyone with a platform or following should be aware of the ramifications of being constantly monitored and be ready to clarify or own up to their mistakes. As for Sinema, she may never reach the same level of positive attention that she had back in 2019, but it is never too late for her to apologize and rebuild.
Loved your perspective on the situation—I agree with everything you've written! Love this line, "I feel confident the ring is her quirky, mean-girl way" haha 💀 great job!
Amazing article!