I'm looking forward to the day that Trump is kicked from the oval office,
but I wouldn't vote to impeach him for what I've seen. Not from some political calculation (i.e. I'd do it if I didn't think it'd backfire), and not because I view Trump's actions as acceptable, but because I'm distressed by how comfortable we've become violating political norms.
And the most basic norm in society is that regardless of how much one detests an elected official, you should respect the outcome of the vote. It's why so many, correctly, heaped opprobrium on Trump for saying he might not accept a loss, and why democrats boycotting his inauguration with claims of an illegitimate election were so outrageous.
Furthermore, I'd be looking to vote against politicians who did vote to impeach if given an appropriate opportunity (obviously I wouldn't vote out of spite if I view their opponent as too harmful to support).
Impeachment should be for serious examples of criminality, and/or corruption. And I don't see it here.
Trump's campaign delighted in Russian attacks on HRC, but they did not partake in executing that attack directly. It's just one of many breeches of decorum which still don't rise to the level where I'd be willing to remove a president from office, nor tolerate votes toward that end. The list is long and distinguished... insulting a Gold Star family, undercutting US interests / global standing*, mocking McCain and other POWs, the Charlottesville response, fear and loathing at our southern border... I could go on.
*Suggesting that we may not uphold Article 5 responsibilities under NATO.
The Helsinki summit
Handling of trade relations
Claiming Russia's political assassinations are bad, but hey, the US kills people we don't like too
("There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers,” Trump said. “Well, you think our country is so innocent?”)
So toss the documentation of Trump cheering a foreign propaganda campaign on top of the pile of deplorable actions. But we can't just fall back to plan B when conspiracy didn't pan out. Lacking a motivating factor for obstruction (an underlying crime Trump was trying to hide), the argument quickly becomes one of tortured logic. To be frank, I view the cacophony over obstruction as a thinly veiled partisan opportunism; a plan B. And I think it would be widely viewed as a partisan act by the electorate.
The bottom line is that this is what we elected in 2016. Trump's myriad flaws should serve as a bad example to correct in 2020, not as an excuse to abandon norms and follow suit.
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In response to this post by hoolstoptheheels)
Posted: 04/25/2019 at 11:47AM