As I understand it, these are the arguments for not pursuing impeachment:

[Va Lefty]

1) It won't stand a chance in The Senate.-- Talking about impeachment as a political strategy cedes the highest of grounds. Congress needs to impeach him to uphold their oaths of office. The politics should be secondary, and the fact that they’re not reflects poorly on Democrats. Think for a minute about people of color or anyone who have been in the criminal justice system. Most of us do not have the luxury of being accused of a crime and the system refuses to prosecute because it's too much trouble.

2) It would be a distraction and take away oxygen from issues Democrats want to run on in 2020, like affordable health care.-- Why is it impossible to do more than one thing at a time? We can present a list of 3 or 4 issues to run on AND go after the madman who resides at 1600 Penn. Ave. when he's not golfing at Mar a Lago.

3) It will "rile up" his base.-- Really? Is there anyone who believes the MAGAts would be "riled up"? They are like a bunch of mangy, rabid dogs who will hungrily devour what ever crap Traitor don throws their way (saving America from socialism, Building a wall to protect them from brown people.

I think it was a mistake to take impeachment of the table in '06 and I fear we are going down the same road again. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

[durablend]

1. If the tables were turned

Republicans would impeach in a New York minute, nevermind "OMG OHNOES someone might yell at us"

[Demsrule86]

23. Who cares. No chancecell of conviction.

[Trumpocalypse]

2. How was 06 a mistake?

Dems won big in the next election.

[Va Lefty]

3. I think it set a bad precedent in that it allowed unconstitutional actions to go unpunished

[Trumpocalypse]

12. Not the first time that

has happened.

[BigmanPigman]

4. We must pursue it since it is a constitutional matter

and not a political one. It also is what Mueller wanted Congress to do.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212031692

[Demsrule86]

22. No we need to win in 20.

[FM123]

5. There is a lot to think about, for sure.

I was just remembering what trump said after the election - the fact that he "won" without having to release his tax returns was proof that the American people don't really care about his tax returns and it was not a big deal. I'm afraid that with that kind of twisted logic his re-election campaign message will be that what he did was not really a big deal and nobody cares anyway because if they did - they would have started impeachment hearings against him and they didn't.

[Desert grandma]

6. Another reason not to impeach.

It is true, that right now, the Senate would most likely not vote to convict. It could make it a more difficult race for a Democrat to win if Democrats were seen as simply doing anything they can to get rid of the Orange Buffoon. This could change depending on the public congressional investigations that will be taking place. There is a very real possibility that should Orange Buffoon be impeached, Pence would pardon him. This would effectively curtail any criminal action against him. On the other hand, if he loses the 2020 election, he would be indicted for multiple counts of obstruction. For me, there is no question that he should be held accountable, it is a matter of which option to pursue. It is also possible that Mueller left a roadmap to prosecute him after he leaves office, without the ability of Pence to pardon him. Either way, the man needs to be held accountable. No man is above the law.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. One more reason not to impeach: President Pence.

Want him running in 2020 as an incumbent?

[Va Lefty]

8. Honestly, I'd much rather run against Pence.

He's got no charisma.

[Locutusofborg]

21. You think Trump has charisma?

[LovingA2andMI]

30. Among his Rabid Racist POS "Base"....

Yes.

[uponit7771]

10. Yes, he's about as alive as a wet rag ... he's sleep right now

[ecstatic]

16. Anything and anyone is better than trump. Pence would not win in 2020. nt

[creeksneakers2]

9. We don't have a good enough case

for Trump committing a serious crime. The public would punish the Democrats for going ahead anyway.

[uponit7771]

11. We have a slam dunk case for attempted obstruction, most Trump admitted to.

[hedda_foil]

13. You actually think that's true?

[creeksneakers2]

14. Yeah

Close but not enough. All the Senate GOP needs is an excuse to let Trump slide

[hedda_foil]

17. Conviction is not the issue.

A well done impeachment inquiry and trial will show the traitorous repubs for what they are. Representatives and Senators who vote to clear him will be badly hurt... Not with the cult of Trump base but with the other 65-70% of the country.

[Demsrule86]

20. McCornell will run the trial...it will be bullshit and at the end Trump declares victory...

[creeksneakers2]

24. I don't think so

It will rally Trump's base and turn off moderates. Trump's base alone is about 43%.

[LovingA2andMI]

31. Turn Off Moderates???

They been turned off from Trump. Have you been watching or reading any read poll as of late?

[creeksneakers2]

34. He got enough of them last time to win.

[LovingA2andMI]

35. Seriously???

Obviously you skipped the Mueller report pp. 148. Read it and get back with us.

[TwilightZone]

36. Gallup has his approval among Independents at 39%

Which is roughly what it was in 2016 shortly before the election.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx

That's as of April 9th. It may have changed since - we'll know in the next couple polls.

[creeksneakers2]

39. Do you mean 148 in the first or second section?

I looked at both and I don't see anything lethal.

[LovingA2andMI]

41. You were not looking....

And since we are not teachers, you believe what you believe and we will rest on the facts in the report. Tootles.

[ecstatic]

15. I didn't care that Nancy took impeachment off the table in '06; this time, it would be

unforgivable. If you can't do your jobs and defend the country, what good are you?

[Demsrule86]

19. How does impeachment without conviction defend the country?

[TwilightZone]

38. It doesn't.

I've given up trying to understand the reasoning. According to DU, impeachment followed by an acquittal will save the country, save the Constitution, and convince a huge number of voters, including the 90% of Republicans who support Trump, to bail on his ass and vote D in 2020.

Never mind that nearly everyone made up their minds about Trump years ago. There aren't any minds to change. Certainly not the people who get their news from Breitbart and Fox News.

And never mind that we won in 2018 because we ran on issues and not all Trump, all the time.

[Demsrule86]

40. You are right. They seem to think they can convince trumpers...never happen.

[LovingA2andMI]

32. This....

Period!!!

[Demsrule86]

18. Yeah big mistake in 2008 we won a 60 vote majority in the Senate and we had a house.

[Locutusofborg]

25. If anybody can name the 20 Republican Senators

who might possibly vote to convict Trump in a Senate trial, I’ll be for impeachment. Otherwise the impeachment I want is a landslide victory at the polls in 2020.
I do not want Trump to be celebrating a Not Guilty verdict in a Senate trial.
This week’s Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 40% want Trump impeached and 47% want him to resign.
https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-TRUMP-RUSSIA-POLL/010091JB28J/Mueller%20Investigation%20Report%2004%2019%202019%20TRENDED%20PID.pdf

[Kurt V.]

26. American's are well capable of deciding what is not guilty and what is unacceptable behavior.

[Locutusofborg]

27. I'm pretty sure most Americans have already made up their minds on that.

[Kurt V.]

28. how can u even make such a statement. Americans need to know more, then they will decide.

[Locutusofborg]

33. Who really decides

435 members of Congress will decide and if 218 or more of them vote for a Bill of Impeachment then 100 Senators will decide and it will take 67 guilty votes to remove Trump from office.

[TwilightZone]

37. The vast majority of people made up their minds on Trump long, long ago.

If we're expecting impeachment to radically change the minds of a significant number of people, we're going to be disappointed. His floor is probably 35% and he's nearly there now. That 35% is mostly Republicans who will stick with him regardless.

[LovingA2andMI]

29. Agree...

With EACH of your counterpoints. Impeachment MUST BE ON THE TABLE.