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The most egregious political malpractice of my lifetime.
The decision to frame impeachment in strictly political terms, rather than as a constitutional duty—which is was it is—was the most corrosive thing
If they impeach now it'll be more effectively framed as a political move
And they'll need something WORSE than the Mueller report
If they impeach now it'll be more effectively framed as a political move
And they'll need something WORSE than the Mueller report
If they had actually aggressively pursued fact-finding, leading to impeachment, that would be one thing.
Nope.
They slow-walked it, even stated outright they were hoping to push it off until after the election.
They put wind in Trump's sails.
Nope.
They slow-walked it, even stated outright they were hoping to push it off until after the election.
They put wind in Trump's sails.
They should still open impeachment hearings. They NEED to. They should do it today.
But they've made their job infinitely harder by the way they refused to go about it, and especially the way they talked about why they refused.
But they've made their job infinitely harder by the way they refused to go about it, and especially the way they talked about why they refused.
I don't think there is no difference between the parties.
But I sure am starting to understand why people might think so.
Nancy Pelosi has to go, and they need to open impeachment hearings on the same day.
Today would be the best day for it. Tomorrow would be 2nd best.
But I sure am starting to understand why people might think so.
Nancy Pelosi has to go, and they need to open impeachment hearings on the same day.
Today would be the best day for it. Tomorrow would be 2nd best.
Look at this list of things they've normalized by failing to bring swift and immediate consequences, running an impeachment inquiry and fact-finding from now until after the 2020 election.
It's not remotely a complete list.
It's not remotely a complete list.
It's just so horribly disappointing. The Democrats were given a wave election by voters in 2018—a real mandate—and their leadership are using that political capital to snipe at members who actually want change, and telling voters to effect change by...voting for them in 2020
It's still not too late to change. I hope they do.
But every day delayed makes the job harder, and a potentially energized electorate more tired and cynical.
But every day delayed makes the job harder, and a potentially energized electorate more tired and cynical.
I'll vote for Democrats in 2020 no matter what. It's too important not to. But I'm not fool enough to believe everyone see it that way.
People vote for vision and moral clarity and action, in my opinion.
That's what wins elections.
I think it's what people voted for in 2018.
People vote for vision and moral clarity and action, in my opinion.
That's what wins elections.
I think it's what people voted for in 2018.
I don’t think the Speaker is a fool but I do think the Speaker is very wrong.
I just had a conversation in my DM‘s on this very point, so let me address it.
I just had a conversation in my DM‘s on this very point, so let me address it.
1) GOP-leaning districts voted for Democrats in 18. True.
Those voters I presume did so because they found Trump distasteful. I’m not sure how not impeaching Trump helps them, from a purely political angle.
Those voters I presume did so because they found Trump distasteful. I’m not sure how not impeaching Trump helps them, from a purely political angle.
Democrats ran on bringing real oversight to Trump. Voters in GOP districts would assume some actual checks and balances were coming ... and if those don't materialize, easy for those same voters to tell themselves hey, both sides are corrupt, may as well vote for the tax break
2) If putting actual teeth and consequences into oversight is the thing that will make historically GOP leaning districts flip back to Trump, then we were already screwed anyway and I'd rather we go down on our feet than on our backs.
At least if we do that we might inspire non voters to make up the losses of those GOP flippers. We sure won't inspire anybody by making our strategy a holding pattern.
3) Despite complexities, I can't escape the overwhelming gravity of the fact that if you treat the current moment as not worthy of impeachment, people will begin to see it as not worthy of impeachment, and that is such a grave and terrible mistake that it swallows all the rest.
Now those are just the political reasons it’s a terrible mistake to have not impeached, and moreover to have made a robust and vigorous argument against impeachment.
Add to at the fact that it is a clear abdication of congressional responsibility, which overwhelms mere politics.
Add to at the fact that it is a clear abdication of congressional responsibility, which overwhelms mere politics.
