Impeachment Hearing Musings

It struck me today that people who voted for Donald Trump, or most of those that support him today, believe that he hasn't done anything impeachable.  Even the Republican's legal scholar in todays hearings doesn't like Trump, but somehow buys into the fact that Trump is just, well, Trump.  That's the problem.  One of the law professors today made an inappropriate joke that involved Trumps son.  She ultimately apologized.  Those on the right will skewer her for her joke.  Those on the left will ask her to apologize, not wanting to seem insensitive!  There is a definite double standard surrounding Donald Trump.  He can say inappropriate things.  He can do inappropriate things.  No one takes him seriously.  That is, none of his supporters take these things seriously.  Anyone else who would say these things or act this way, well that's another story.  But Trump gets to be Trump.  Maybe that's where the Republicans are right.  Forget about impeachment, we have an election in 11 months.  Let the voters decide.  They decided 3 years ago, and this is the guy we have.  We have an electoral college system that Democrats don't like at the present moment, and Trump will never have a majority of Americans vote for him for President, but may very well win again.  That's the will of the American electoral system, its voters and our election process.

Is Trump trying to influence the next election?  Absolutely!  Again, his supporters think that's ok.  They think that he knows how to fight other politicians better than anyone ever has before him.  By being more corrupt and more despicable than all of them combined (in my opinion, sorry for the transgression).  But there are a lot of angry voters who are mad as hell and don't want to take business as usual anymore.  Trump is their answer to that.  And not only don't they care how he gets it done, they'll support anything that he does.

In many ways, I have to wonder if this is just what our political process has become, and whether this is the beginning of the end of extreme partisan politics.  I hope so.  Unfortunately, it always hurts when you rip off the bandaid.  Laying bare the lowest elements of our political system may be the greatest challenge to face our country.  Enough voters agree with, or will put up with, Donald Trump to have allowed him to become President.  They certainly disagree with impeachment and will feel like the rest of America is taking away their decision as voters.

I can't believe it, but I just made a case for the Democrats not to vote to impeach Trump.  Perhaps they need to go out and get a dozen Trump supporters and have them testify.  Maybe only then will they realize that impeachment is against the will of those who voted Trump into office.  This is the behavior they voted for.  It sounds screwy to say that, but it's clearly true.  Are we supposed to impeach 40% of the electorate?  That can't have a positive outcome.

I think that the Democrats need to rethink their approach.  Why not censure Trump for what he did?  Unfortunately, in todays partisan political world, that won't get a single Republican vote.  But maybe?