Impeachment debate divides Democrats as 2018 wave builds

[workinclasszero]

Impeachment debate divides Democrats as 2018 wave builds
If Democrats take back the House, they’ll immediately face pressure from their base to impeach Trump. But it may not be their best move. By KYLE CHENEY and HEATHER CAYGLE 12/26/2017 05:03 AM EST

A tidal wave of liberal disdain for President Donald Trump may help deliver the House to Democrats in 2018. And if it does, the new majority will face an immediate, fateful choice: to pursue Trump's impeachment as the base demands, or to coax their allies away from the doomsday button.

Democratic lawmakers acknowledge that their voters are hungry for Trump’s removal from office, even if there is no consensus on the grounds for his impeachment. Polls on the question show as many as three-quarters of Democrats already back impeachment, and one deep-pocketed ally, California megadonor Tom Steyer, has been mounting an expensive pressure campaign across the country to build support for Trump's impeachment. Democratic hostility toward the Republican president seems to intensify daily.

But lawmakers who recall the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton are wary of sparking a political backlash for appearing too eager to remove a president without buy-in from independents and even some Republicans. Their tallest task may be persuading fellow Democrats to cool their jets. How the party handles the explosive question of impeachment could determine whether its new majority is still standing two years later.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/26/impeachment-debate-democrats-2018-congress-314634

[kimbutgar]

1. Why show your cards until you have to?

[workinclasszero]

2. I'm for impeachment

soonest.

[jrthin]

3. Me too.

Say it loud, and say it often. The problem with some dems is they spend too time "focus grouping" their message as oppose to just speaking from the heart and speaking the truth.

[workinclasszero]

6. I don't think "we go high when they go low" has served the country very well

I love the person who said that though but I must disagree with the statement.

If it was President Hillary Clinton, what would the f***en republicans do?

I say give it back to the bastards in spades! Its well past time to fight fire with fire IMO.

[NCDem777]

13. But impeachment

requires a 2/3rds majority in both houses.

Let's say we get 2/3rds of the house this election. We can't get that in the Senate. Impeachment would require Republicans to stand up to Trump and the conspiracy nut Alex Jones worshipping base that put him there.

Not gonna happen.

[onenote]

14. Impeachment takes simple majority in House, 2/3 in Senate to convict.

Not 2/3 in both houses.

[maxsolomon]

16. Nice try.

Who told you that? You didn't learn it in civics class.

[gratuitous]

12. Precisely

For politicians, it's, well let's just say political (and prudent) to keep from making any statements or pronouncements that might blow up in your face (unless your name rhymes with Ronald Rump). Let the investigations proceed, the indictments and plea agreements keep coming, and the shape of the case come into sharper focus.

But we're not politicians. We don't have to worry about looking biased or partisan. This is one of those times when the rabble needs to lead to provide a safe space for our leaders to inhabit. The stakes are very high, and if a few private citizens get too far out front, well, that's the way it goes sometimes. But we don't have a surfeit of strong political leaders in key positions. We've already jettisoned a couple in the last few weeks, and we need to reassure any skittish leaders that we have their backs.

When we get to the point of impeachment, it will be because the evidence is out there and irrefutable. Nixon was brazening it out for months until the June 23, 1972 tape of his conversation with Haldeman had to be released on August 5, 1974. The Republican leadership in the Senate and the House met with Nixon to tell him that his presidency was done for, and on August 9 he was gone. The denouement of the Trump administration will have to follow a similar arc if we're to be rid of him.

[murielm99]

4. Let's take back Congress first.

A lot can happen in a year.

In Illinois, we have a primary on March 20. That is only a few months away. Everyone needs to get off their asses and get people out to vote in every election, no matter how insignificant it seems.

[Takket]

5. Drumpf must be impeached within ten minutes of mueller filing his report

[roamer65]

8. ..

[workinclasszero]

9. Yes!

[Hugin]

7. I haven't seen any division on impeachment in my circles.

There is some on sentencing, tho.

[FreepFryer]

10. This. (nt)

[Orsino]

11. Click-bait does not deliver on the "divides" claim.

Non-story.

[OilemFirchen]

15. Oh look!

Politico is running a story about division within the Democratic Party!