Impeachment, though it is doomed to fail, will be terrible for the country in too many ways to count, and the Democratic Party, abetted by the mainstream news media, will be 100% responsible for the harm. Not 75%. Not 99%. 100%.
I know I’m going to have to write a lot in the coming months about this, and I’m already sick of it, but if progressives, the media and the Democrats had treated this President as every one of his predecessors had been treated, we would not be here. They all decided to actively search for a justification to remove this President from office without an election. The calls for impeachment and contrived legal excuses to remove him began before Trump even took office.
It is satisfying, I suppose, in a mordant way, that the Democrats somehow trapped themselves into using one of the lamest and least persuasive justifications for an impeachment inquiry imaginable, and will pay a steep, steep price for it. Even the fact that the party and the media will suffer greatly for their attack on democracy, however, does not sufficiently mitigate the damage they will have done to the nation.
Ann Althouse wrote one of her most interesting columns a few days ago opining that if the Democrats went forward with impeachment, it would be because they have decided that they can’t win the 2020 election. I think Ann is ignoring Hanlon’s Razor, but here’s what she wrote..
Of course, if Trump is impeached by the Democrats who have a majority in the House, he will not be removed from office, because the Republicans control the Senate. We’ll be subjected to a horrific blend of legal mystification and political advantage seeking.
So why would the Democrats predict that it will advantage them? My answer is: because they feel sure they’re losing the actual election, the straightforward political fight.
The timing is important. They could wait for the actual election, the normal process of American democracy, or — if they think that won’t work — they can start delegitimatizing it now, while they think they have a decent shot at making us believe they’re doing something righteous and noble. If they wait too long, the con will become more obvious.
Oh, it’s screamingly obvious already, especially after the Adam Schiff clown show yesterday. Ann continues, quoting Washington Post writer who argues for impeachment…
“It is safe to assume that Trump will continue to abuse the powers of the presidency as long as he is in office…. Would impeachment stop any of that? No, not directly. What it would do, however, is distract the heck out of him…. [H]e will obsess about it… He will rant to his…”
He’s inept and dangerous, so let’s make his job twice as hard. You know, we are dependent on him to do his job well. I have never accepted the effort to distract and confuse him, which has gone on since before he took office. And why don’t people see that the endless screwing with him energizes him? He’s very creative at repurposing negativity. He seems to revel in the fight. And to many Americans, that’s exciting entertainment, and they feel they’re cheering the underdog.
thinking Trump will be distracted and imagines this will help the country because distracted Trump won’t pay so much attention to doing his job as President…That’s how [the Post writer] wants the Democrats to help?! First, that’s a disgusting approach to running the country, and it’s utter disrespect for the people who used their normal democratic power of voting him into office.
Bingo. Ann is articulating what Ethics Alarms has been pointing out for years. Setting out to sabotage a President and stop him from doing his job is indefensible, and that’s what the Democrats set out to do from the beginning. This impeachment push is just part of the whole, unethical, destructive plot.
Ethics Alarms 
“The Democrats Will Be 100% Responsible For The Damage The Impeachment Will Do To The nation.”
But, but, but… it’s Trump!
Donald Trump didn’t create the left’s hate, irrational aversion to truth and facts, he revealed it!
The continuing employment of Big Lie tactics by Schumer, Nadler, Pelosi, Schiff and company, their ability to straight-facedly deny reality and boldly imply what is obviously not there, and to unashamedly deceive and mislead the public, day after day, angers me beyond words. I am hopeful, but not optimistic, that in most of America the Dems will be handed the resounding political defeats that they richly deserve -across the board- for the next fifty years. (Contingent, of course, on the republic surviving the damage they have already done.) Yes, voting for ANY Democrat is definitely ethically indefensible.
It’s a vain hope, I’m afraid. Big Lie tactics work all too well. They always have.
But they really aren’t working well now, Glenn, because they have been over-used. The news media has blown its credibility to more than half the public. The Mueller fiasco really hurt the impeachment plan. The leaders of the party and the various candidates have looked so ridiculous or unhinged—or in Joe’s case, senile, that Trump looks better and better, like a turkey in a vulture beauty pageant. I’ve been amazed at how his poll numbers are rising in the midst of all this.
Abe Lincoln was right about the futility of trying to fool everyone all the time, and because he was right about that, he may be right that this nation will not perish after all.
“… like a turkey in a vulture beauty pageant…”
That is such a brilliant turn of phrase, jack. Trump as turkey, Democrats as vultures… it just fits. I am totally stealing it without attribution.
You’re welcome.
Abe Lincoln was right about the futility of trying to fool everyone all the time, and because he was right about that, he may be right that this nation will not perish after all.
In order for the Nation, within its present trajectory, not to perish, will mean a similar sort of intervention that Abe Lincoln headed up. But this is 2019 and not 1860. The nation is now fracturing, socially and ideologically. What can ‘bring it back together’? That is why the relevancy of para-democratic efforts will become necessary: controlling information, blacklisting opinions and ideas, and intervening, because there is a ‘crisis of democracy’ unfolding.
Coming back *together* that is not a possibility, at least according to the way I see things, because ‘demography is destiny’. Does anyone think that *as if by magic* the conflicts in the present will abate?
By the choice of converting the US to a different sort of Republic, which could be said to have begun with Lincoln, and which is maturing now, and ‘dispossessing’ the only people who made it, and can uphold it, the Nation is in the process not necessarily of being lost as a State, but through becoming something else. Tyranny is an inevitable result of a non-organic attempt to hold the nation together.
In order for that ‘something else’ to fully manifest the same demographic transformations will have to go forward as now. They seem to be going forward anyway, or they are inevitable if indeed ‘demography is destiny’.
The ‘enemy’ of that eventuality is — could only be — the awakening of the majority population and their reversing the demographic trends. Arresting them, reversing them. And too, as the Dissident Right says, increasing white births significantly. Here, in Europe, and in the former English colonies. Same problems.
If that does not happen, what we see now will go forward. I would agree that the Democrat position is not very good, right now. Trump will likely win again. But that does not mean that the same trends that brought us Obama and that beginning of radical change will not continue to gather steam. These are very long term trends.
I honestly believe that we are witnessing the beginning of the end for the West in terms of a society and as an idea by “death from a thousand cuts”.
Europe seems already on course to radically shift its demographics, as they seek to import more and more of the 3rd world as a solution to falling native birth rates, with the oligarchs of the EU and ideologically blind activists failing to realize that they are ushering in a culture that will eventually supplant their own, for better or worse.
Meanwhile, here in the States we have mainstream presidential candidates advocating for open boarders, along with a massive system to provide ‘free’ services to the multitudes of ‘refugees’ that will inevitably follow, and all of it paid for by the One Percent.
Partner that with a massive tech empire and media seeking to control access to information, silence political and ideological opponents, punish wrong-think, and in general control every aspect of people’s lives.
I’d say yeah, I agree with you that ‘coming back together’ is wishful thinking at this point, and add that the we are officially living in Clown World.
*HONK HONK*
I remember watching a WF Buckley show, I have no idea which one or who was on, but in relation to some comment his guest made he referred to “Spenglerian gloom”! Since Spengler brought out his powerful analysis about the unraveling of civilization.
My effort — one of my interests — has to do with ‘why people think the things they think’. It is a question that always turns upon metaphysical questions. So, it is interesting and fruitful to examine the *narratives* that are used by powerful entities surrounding us — to manage us essentially — and also to examine those that we ourselves choose, or perhaps ‘resonate with’ is a more revealing and suggestive way to put it.
In times of social crisis, disruption and uncertainty, the very ‘self’ and its relationship to existence is put under pressure. As the pot heats up, or to put it another way as the psychological pressure rises, one comes face to face with existential angst. Unless one is more or less completely given over to nihilistic ‘care-not’ modes of being, and unless one is delightedly drowning in pure sensual narcosis, and of course unless one is too unintelligent to do much thinking at all, one has to arm oneself with some kind of ‘interpretive frame’. One has no choice.
Interpretive structure — how we visualize our being, the place we are (Earth, manifest) — has a surprising bearing on how we relate to life and to adversity. For example for those who pay attention to the various strands of Spenglerian gloom (not all of it is gloomy of course) one is bound to have heard of the Vedic pronouncements of the Four World Ages (Yugas) and the idea is also expressed in Platonic philosophy:
Here, on this blog, one finds very middle-of-the-road analysis by people who — if I may be permitted to say, fairly and justly I suggest — come at political and social questions from a rather ‘provincial’ angle. Provincial in the sense of being relatively unaware of nearly all dissident thinking of the last 100 years. As it happens, and directly as a result of some of the activists who had been influenced by this dissident material — Richard Spencer is a first-rate example since he was sort of ‘mentored’ (or in any case influenced by Jonathan Bowden — all of a sudden, almost from one moment to the next, the term ‘Alt-Right’ burst into — literally — world-consciousness. Here, I have to acknowledge the ‘honk-honk’ reference to Pepe the Frog, winking, as he careens by on a bicycle tooting his horn. This is as obscure a reference, here, as Jack’s reference to what Sunday Will Never Be The Same is supposed to refer to (which I cannot figure out though I tried for 10 minutes).
It has to do with ruptures in the continuity of *narratives*. Suddenly, one woke up and noticed that the developing frame of the world could no longer be seen and interpreted through the old, familiar narrative structure. It just did not apply anymore. The metaphor — of course! — is the Red Pill. Something happened — who can say just what? — that pulled on a narrative thread and suddenly — shazzam! — one noticed that what one was looking at on the Telescreen, the movie that is playing, and the actors that are playing it, are part of a convoluted charade. But more! A devilish trick. A mysterious deception. A false-world. A purveyed view. Behind the notorious ubiquitous toothy *smile* one noticed something approaching the diabolic.
Don’t blame me for putting it out there, this is in fact what happened. There is an interesting book, I have referenced it a few times: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (Barkun 2003). About this book Richard Landes wrote:
I am never certain if people have the fortitude to read what I write all the way through — some in fact say they don’t (the Sleepy Ones!) But here is a good place for me to insert a very very interesting take-down on the Greta Thunberg Hoax and, if you follow it through, to an interpretation of what, in fact, stands behind it. It is relevant to what I have asserted in this post in relation to yours. I say relevant because it points to a rational critique of power-systems, not to full-out paranoid ‘conspiracy thinking’. But what results from the rational analysis — an interpretation — really is more scary, more challenging, stranger really, than the paranoid imagining.
It is 40 minutes yet I can almost guarantee that it will be worth it:
There is no surprise that his poll numbers are rising. Bill Clinton’s did exactly the same thing when his impeachment became a foregone conclusion.
I’m less sanguine that this is because the Big Lie isn’t working than an American impulse to defend someone who looks like they are under assault from every direction. We’ve seen that before so many times. Beleaguered presidents seem to be very popular in the good old USA.
In Nixon’s case, there was a genuine crime, and he lost public support completely. In Clinton’s case, the Big Lies the media was pushing were in his favor; “It’s only sex”—“Everybody does it”–“Private personal conduct.” The dynamics are completely different in this case. Support for Trump will rise out of revulsion for the Democrats, and because the public understands that a President cannot be brought down this way.
Years ago, I was in a crowded bar watching a basketball game when it was interrupted by coverage of the slow-motion white-Bronco car chase of OJ Simpson. I turned to the woman next to me and said, “Oh no. We’re going to have to listen to news about OJ Simpson every day for the next year and I’m already sick of hearing about him.” This was the one and only time in my life that I ever succeeded in picking up a stranger in a bar and taking her home.
I feel the same way again today, except multiplied by 1,000, and I’m not going to get laid this time.
OJ is a perfect analogy. There’s a media circus. There are bad actors with bad agendas. We’ll never stop hearing about it.
And the famous guy, accused of a crime, is most certainly guilty.
What? No crime whatsoever. None.
Except Biden’s crimes, perhaps.
BTW, two stories that I read this morning reminding me that in 2016, Obama’s White House pressured Ukraine to open an investigation of Paul Manafort and close its investigation of George Soros. But that was absolutely the right thing to do because Obama did it, not a high crime and misdemeanor the way it would be if Trump did it.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/andrew-mccarthy-dems-hold-trump-to-double-standard-what-was-ok-for-obama-isnt-ok-for-trump
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/435906-us-embassy-pressed-ukraine-to-drop-probe-of-george-soros-group-during-2016
The Democrats haven’t even floated a hint of just what law, rule, statute or standard Trump is supposed to be violating here. Privately looking into corruption involving a Democrat?
I can’t take this seriously if they won’t.
Have you no sense of decency Democratic Party? Obviously not. With Trump’s need to deal with Iran, China, North Korea and major domestic issues, let’s handicap him for the rest of his term with this moronic impeachment inquiry.
At this time, I seriously doubt that Democrats will want to “pull the trigger” on an actual vote on any specific articles of impeachment… just like they tabled the Al Green articles back in July. Such a vote is doomed to failure considering 1) there is no credible evidence of “high crimes and misdemeanors” at this time, 2) Republicans have a majority in the Senate, 3) articles of impeachment need to be written in clear understandable language backed up with supporting evidence, and 4) removal requires two thirds vote in the Senate. A failed vote on specific articles… and that is what will happen… would be such an obvious humiliation for Democrats that they will not risk it prior to the 2020 election.
In spite of all of these problems, Democrats will, however, continue to talk frequently and ominously about impeachment all the way up to the November 2020 election in an effort to sway public opinion against voting for a president who is possibly in jeopardy of impeachment. And some voters will be swayed. I suspect that the Democrats are hoping for enough “low information” voters to join with their base to seek refuge from the constant risk of political uncertainty and vote for their chosen Democrat candidate, who they hope will be seen as the “safe” alternative to the allegedly evil, dangerous, corrupt and irrational Donald Trump.
Considering the quality of the present top tier Democrat contenders, this strategy is dubious at best, but it may be the best shot they have.
Democrats have come to realize they cannot win 2020 in a straight up political fight; even with all the cheating they can muster.
This is an attempt to purge the radicals from power before they threaten the moderate DNC’s income stream.
After all, ideology is simply a way to make money off the rubes in the Swamp. You can’t actually DO that stuff!
I virtually guarantee you the Democrats will vote out articles of impeachment against President Trump. I don’t make many such bets, but this one is as close to a sure thing as the sun rising in the morning absent a revelation that this was some kind of Democrat-orchestrated conspiracy.
The Democrats are also hoping to use impeachment hearings as a preemptive strike against the blizzard of indictments that’s about to hit their deep-state operatives for the Russian collusion hoax and attempted coup. Nancy Pelosi is now darkly intoning that Attorney General Barr has “gone rogue” and is engaged in a “cover-up of a cover-up” (of something). The Democrats will characterize all of the indictments as attempts to obstruct the impeachment investigation.
This latest impeachment effort is monstrously evil. I think most of the people pushing it are deranged anti-Trumpers who really believe what they are saying. But a significant number of them are like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, very shrewd, deeply cynical and fully aware that these charges are garbage, using impeachment as a weapon to grab and hold onto power.
And this is why they will be compelled to turn to violent revolution if these attempts at faux impeachment and getting the likes of Liz Warren elected fail.
I agree with these people on nothing. And they are currently happy to openly demonize anyone who disagrees .,. to be followed by imprison or execute should they gain power.
I think the Democrats are fine with the potential destruction this might cause. They clearly don’t like the way the US works now, so you could make an argument that there is no harm in doing as much damage as possible so they can rebuild the country in their image if everything goes their way.
It’s high-risk, high-reward. If the Dems somehow successfully impeach Trump and drag the American people to a belief that Trump should be removed, they are hoping that, whether or not Trump is actually removed by the Republican senate, the American people will be willing to elect a Democrat as President in 2020.
If that happens, it’s not unreasonable to believe that the Democrats might hold the house and take the Senate. This is exactly what happened when the economy crashed under GW Bush, even though McCain was the actual candidate. The USA punished the Republican party for the economic disaster that happened on their watch, and McCain just happened to be the nominee.
Also, an impeachment could hasten a recession, which would be good for Democratic Party prospects in 2020. If they can make it happen fast enough, that is, which is why they are rushing to get this done so that maximum pain will be felt by the public prior to the election. They are betting, and it’s a decent bet, that America will blame the President and his party and not them. They have the media on their side to constantly trumpet their spin on the issue.
So this is their game, and they aren’t even a little worried about how much damage they do to the country, because they think the country needs to be mostly undone anyway. If they pull it off, they will be able to accomplish all the socialist stuff they can manage, remake the Senate into a majoritarian institution like the house and pack the Supreme Court in order to control the entire government.
If they fail, their plans get set back a bit, but the damage remains, along with the likelihood that the country will eventually place the presidency in the hands of a Leftist Democrat. The upshot is that they are totally okay with whatever wreckage they cause, because it could pay off in spades, and even if it doesn’t, the long game is still there.
I agree with your analysis, Glen. I just think that the Democrats are forgetting that Americans are not as stupid (yet) as they believe, and that most deer rifles have a muzzle velocity in excess of 1200 feet per second.
Hard to rebuild a country when you are not around to draw breath.
I…just…cannot see…exactly what more damage there is yet to be done, or is potentially doable, that continued efforts to impeach TRUMP would do. Sorry.
I guess what I am looking for is Jack’s elaboration on his first sentence: “…terrible for the country in too many ways to count…”
You’re not using your imagination. Too many to count means too many to count, but I’ll start with seven…
1. If you think the division in the nation can’t get worse, angrier, more hateful and more violent, you are Pollyanna. It can, and it will.
2. There are important issues and policy matters that need attention, and impeachment sucks all the air out of the news. It’s an excuse for Congress to do nothing.
3. Trump has been remarkable in staying on his agenda despite the intentional distractions. I don’t think he can keep it up through the impeachment.
4. When Trump is acquitted in a kangaroo Senate court like the one that acquitted Clinton, it will further erode trust in the system. The trial will look fixed because it will be fixed. Democracy is already on the ropes thanks to the attacks on multiple rights and the electoral college. A political spectacle masquerading as a trial couldn’t come at a worse time.
5. Impeachment is an essential Constitutional tool that might someday be necessary to preserve the government. After this guaranteed fiasco, no Congress may ever be willing to try it again.
6. The process will bring out the worst in Trump. We don’t want to see the worst in Trump.
7. The negotiations with China and other foreign policy matters are crucial. An impeachment undermines the President at home, and reduces his bargaining power abroad.
1. It can, and it will, impeachment or no impeachment. If one thing doesn’t drive the continued deepening division, something else will.
2. Congress has done nothing since the 2018 election. The current partyist majority in the House likes having excuses for that. Screw ’em.
3. Okay, fair point and projection. But, Congresses have obstructed presidents since forever, and will go on doing so. TRUMP likes to do battle. He kept it up to get past 17 (18?) Republican wannabe’s in 2016. This impeachment battle is probably his favorite battle yet.
4. It was a fixed acquittal for Cnton in ’98, and the republic survived that. Maybe the rules of impeachment need to be changed – along with the Electoral College and several constitutional rights. (I’m not offering specifics – just a general suggestion.)
5. Jack, I think you mis-interpret most self-blindingly here. Impeachment is here to stay, and future Congresses are going to pursue it more and more, no matter what becomes of the current TRUMP hate-fest. Oh, sure, the excuses will become sillier and sillier, but still: Democracy! Will of The People! More power to their representatives! No kings or queens! Investigate! Prosecute! DEPOSE! OUST! (so much more attention-getting than mere legislating)
6. I can’t wait to see “the worst in TRUMP.” Whatever it is, it’ll be the worst for his enemies, and even if it’s painful for the country, it’ll be better for Americans than for Americans’ enemies, both foreign and domestic.
7. How can you say on one hand that impeachment undermines TRUMP, and yet on the other hand say that it serves to ensure his re-election? I hope the powers abroad don’t self-blind to history, and don’t once again mis-judge or under-estimate the powers of the President of the U.S. by mistakenly thinking once again that internal strife has somehow weakened that office or person and its (their) attendant powers.
I just really don’t care much, at this point, what becomes of TRUMP or the Democrats or the government or the 2020 elections. The war is on, and I do mean war internal to the country, and it’s going to go hotter and hotter, and there’s just no telling how much better or worse the country will be for the vast majority of the country’s inhabitants (and how soon) when the conflict simmers down – whenever and however that return-to simmer might happen.
Jack, I think you misinterpret most self-blindingly here. Impeachment is here to stay, and future Congresses are going to pursue it more and more, no matter what becomes of the current TRUMP hate-fest.
You could not be more wrong. The failed GOP impeachment of Clinton hurt the party badly, and this one will hurt the Democrats worse. Not all future parties will be as insane as today’s Democrats.
Maybe the rules of impeachment need to be changed – along with the Electoral College and several constitutional rights
WHAT????
It can, and it will, impeachment or no impeachment. If one thing doesn’t drive the continued deepening division, something else will.
All divisive actions are not equal. I can’t imagine why you would say this.
Congress has done nothing since the 2018 election. The current partyist majority in the House likes having excuses for that. Screw ’em.
We’re not talking about political obstruction. We’re talking about deliberate destruction of the system of governance. Completely different. This has not been business as usual since 2016.
From your lips to God’s ears.
#8, and the largest to me is ALL the money and time wasted on this. Let’s just start at all the federal moneys wasted on DOJ investigations of what eded up hoax and self contaminatng checking. (sort of like getting too many mammograms increases risk) Then we should include all the time by congress critters and their staffs to push pointless and fruitless diversions from actually HELPING
(OOPS) … ACTUALLY helping the constituents and the nation as a whole. Do the job, not line up in some in-synch chorus line. We Americans are already diverse, you do not have a license to ‘other’ me. Then we can add the costs of all the legions of journalists who are NOT investigating safety hazards, medical fraud, child neglect, etc. Trump is such an easy target they can talk off early instead of acting the watchdog on government, ALL government, and business. So tainted vitamins and common meds going up by a factor of ten just aren’t as sexy as taking a president down. But these watchdog services are not getting done, in favor of paying an anchor who can’t even resist interrupting someone who actually was elected to speak. She wasn’t elected and should at least be quiet while he speaks. Let’s not forgets all the support tasks like logos for the current scandal and all the coffee costs on top of pay and facilities.
Popular media wastes energy on it too. Nascent blacklisting and virtue signaling toys is also wasted effort. All that time and energy could go to scholarships, charm school, cancer research, St Judes… I’m angry they are basically taking 4 years off, tilting at windmills while we not only pay for it in taxes, unaddressed/overdressed problems, and even destroying the things that once gave us hope when times were tough.
Reason 7 above is something that Americans need to be reminded.
The left apparently believes destroying American geopolitical bargaining strenth is a higher priority.
1. If you think the division in the nation can’t get worse, angrier, more hateful and more violent, you are Pollyanna. It can, and it will. yup
2. There are important issues and policy matters that need attention, and impeachment sucks all the air out of the news. It’s an excuse for Congress to do nothing. Oddly enough, this is an exciting prospect, given that most things government, and specifically Congress, does are bad…
3. Trump has been remarkable in staying on his agenda despite the intentional distractions. I don’t think he can keep it up through the impeachment. Trump has surprised us before. I am betting he has gamed this out
4. When Trump is acquitted in a kangaroo Senate court like the one that acquitted Clinton, it will further erode trust in the system. The trial will look fixed because it will be fixed. Democracy is already on the ropes thanks to the attacks on multiple rights and the electoral college. A political spectacle masquerading as a trial couldn’t come at a worse time. Yet here we are. The Swamp is to blame for this, no matter the letter behind the name (Is there EVER a good time for a show trial?)
5. Impeachment is an essential Constitutional tool that might someday be necessary to preserve the government. After this guaranteed fiasco, no Congress may ever be willing to try it again. Impeachment will never again be viewed as more that a way to invalidate an election. This ship sailed some time ago, and has been stoking its boilers since Clinton was impeached.
6. The process will bring out the worst in Trump. We don’t want to see the worst in Trump. I dunno… his worst is best at driving the progressives to suicide. Might as well go full monty and really make an impact /sn
7. The negotiations with China and other foreign policy matters are crucial. An impeachment undermines the President at home, and reduces his bargaining power abroad. I think our enemies know how little impact this will have on Trump’s resolve, and see the kabuki theater for what it is. Trump is not your run of the mill diplomat: he will walk away from the table, and everyone knows it. This vastly improves your bargaining position. Knowing that the CEO’s wife is throwing dishes against the wall in his kitchen does not make the other side of the table believe they have an advantage.