timschochet
Footballguy
So this is meant to be a political thread. I am in favor of an impeachment inquiry; I changed my mind a few months ago because I am convinced that it is the right thing to do. We've debated that elsewhere, and we can do so again here, but the purpose of this thread is to discuss the political implications. Let me offer the two most popular arguments that I have heard (on the news, here, among friends and family):
A. An impeachment inquiry will be a disaster for the Democrats. It will energize the right. It will piss off independents who want the Democrats to deal with issues. It will make Donald Trump a sympathetic character. And the result will be handing the 2020 election to Donald Trump.
B. An impeachment inquiry will be a disaster for Donald Trump. It will energize the left. People like Don McGann will be forced to testify, and this testimony will demoralize the right. Even if Trump is not removed, he will be positioned as such a corrupt and wounded figure that he will be easily defeated in 2020. (As a corollary to this argument, there is a further argument that NOT impeaching Trump will demoralize the left and lead to a Trump victory.)
It should be no surprise that Trump supporters and conservatives in general believe in the first argument, while many progressive Democrats believe in the second argument. It should also be no surprise for anyone who has read me here that personally I'm not sure. I see some merit in both arguments. I do think that there are still a lot of people not really paying attention to any of this who will wake up and start to do so the minute that an impeachment inquiry begins. But whether they fit into the first or second argument, I have no idea.
Thoughts?
A. An impeachment inquiry will be a disaster for the Democrats. It will energize the right. It will piss off independents who want the Democrats to deal with issues. It will make Donald Trump a sympathetic character. And the result will be handing the 2020 election to Donald Trump.
B. An impeachment inquiry will be a disaster for Donald Trump. It will energize the left. People like Don McGann will be forced to testify, and this testimony will demoralize the right. Even if Trump is not removed, he will be positioned as such a corrupt and wounded figure that he will be easily defeated in 2020. (As a corollary to this argument, there is a further argument that NOT impeaching Trump will demoralize the left and lead to a Trump victory.)
It should be no surprise that Trump supporters and conservatives in general believe in the first argument, while many progressive Democrats believe in the second argument. It should also be no surprise for anyone who has read me here that personally I'm not sure. I see some merit in both arguments. I do think that there are still a lot of people not really paying attention to any of this who will wake up and start to do so the minute that an impeachment inquiry begins. But whether they fit into the first or second argument, I have no idea.
Thoughts?