If we do not impeach Donald J. Trump, we will lose everything in 2020. Period. Full stop.

[NewsCenter28]

Taking the Impeachment path will lead Dems to landslide WH, House, Senate, and gubernatorial wins in 2020. The no impeachment path will fire up their base, depress ours, and allow DJT to make the economy and Barr’s kabuki theatre the defining 2020 issues and it will be them with the landslide with the Supreme Court, the house, key governorships and the senate gone indefinitely with a new gerrymander starting in 2021.

The road to the promised land leads through impeachment. Impeachment, along with throwing his crimes into Collins, Gardner, Tillis, and Ernst’s laps, sets the Democrats up beautifully in 2020. If you think running a campaign that ignores DJT’s monstrosities and focuses on issues like the minimum wage is the path to victory, like the esteemed House leadership does, well I have a bridge to sell you!

The commenters in this DKOS diary present a far more cogent case than I on why we will lose if we don’t impeach also:

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1865464

[stonecutter357]

1. nope wrong !

[NewsCenter28]

2. Read the DKOS diary

The case the commenters unanimously made blew me away.

A special counsel has detailed repeated (and ongoing) obstruction-of-justice efforts by a sitting president that have hampered U.S. investigations into (still ongoing) foreign tampering efforts aimed at this nation’s elections; that president’s attorney general has launched a probe into whether federal law enforcement officers ought to face consequences for investigating numerous connections between that president’s candidacy and known Russian agents during an unfathomably consequential anti-U.S. Russian hacking effort; that president’s Treasury head is declaring that Congress is not allowed to investigate that president’s tax filings despite both credible reports of criminal activity and laws giving Congress exactly that power; that president’s party's Senate leader is refusing to bring forward any bills sent to him by the House, regardless of subject, and its lawmakers have been mounting a concerted effort to defend that president against charges of tax evasion, profiteering off his office, obstruction, campaign finance violations, a career of sexual assault and predation, and take-your-pick.

The leadership and evidently you choose to ignore the above. I sure don’t!

[stonecutter357]

3. " he's just not worth it" , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi .

[NewsCenter28]

4. Impeachment allows us to drive the 2020 narrative

Doesn’t have to happen now but does eventually. If there is no impeachment at all, our message will be absolutely pulverized during the campaign.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I agree.

Last edited Wed Jun 19, 2019, 06:49 AM - Edit history (1)

I am confounded by the lack of temerity of the Dem leadership to step up and do the job of opening impeachment proceedings against 45. The eyeballs of the country would be glued to the televised proceedings. It is the right and necessary thing to do to support and defend the Constitution. If they aren't willing to do the job they were elected to do, how does that make them any better than Republicans who aren't upholding their oaths of office?

[tecelote]

10. If looking weak is the goal, we're doing a good job.

As stated above... "It is the right and necessary thing to do to support and defend the Constitution."

[triron]

47. Nicole Wallace is frustrated with Dems apparent lack of backbone.

[Susan Calvin]

14. Yep. nt

[Oppaloopa]

21. I agree.

[Susan Calvin]

13. That's not her call to make . I don't care if she is the speaker .

It's not whether Donald is "worth it", it's whether beginning impeachment hearings is the constitutionally proper thing to do. It is .

[stonecutter357]

15. lol it's 100% HER call to make !

[Susan Calvin]

28. As to whether it starts, yes. I am aware she can stop that for any reason or none.

Basing it on whether he is "worth it" rather than looking to the Constitution, no.

[PJMcK]

26. That's all you have to offer? (n/t)

[rainin]

6. If we don't impeach, he will win the argument that there was no collusion no obstruction.

He is "innocent and the democrats tried to take down his presidency with a coup". He "deserves a 6 year term because they stole 2 years".

Every finding of Muellers will be lost. There will never be sufficient justification for impeachment or consequences for a republican president again.

Democrats will still be impeached -- for anything!! Because republicans aren't afraid to use any tool they have. Dems are.

If support for impeachment is low, then we have people we need to show that it wasn't a witchhunt.

[Mike Niendorff]

7. K&R

Impeachment is an absolute imperative at this moment in American history.

If not now, WHEN?


MDN

[earthshine]

8. Begin impeachment inquiry now -- before it's too late -- because it's the "right" thing to do. nt

[tymorial]

9. It is the constitutional thing to do or do we no longer care about the constitution

Not directed at you, more rhetorical

[emanymton69]

11. AGREE! Totally. It Is The Law.

*
USA is a nation of laws.

Congress must:

Live up to its responsibilities as an equal branch of government. No 'ifs' or 'buts'.
Hold the executive branch accountable to the rule of law.
Enforce the laws.

*

[Bluepinky]

12. Open the impeachment investigations, otherwise Dems look weak and ineffective. Period.

Nail these suckers to the wall, throw everything we’ve got against them. If we don’t hold them accountable, we’ve already lost. We have to work within the system we have, and the way to deal with unbridled corruption is impeachment.

If our democracy is going to die, impeachment is the hill I want to on.

[Locrian]

17. absolutely - it's giving up

The message is loud and clear to the entire US:

no impeachment = no crimes

If you're good with that - well, then go ahead and do "political calculations" etc which IMHO are no better than coin tosses.
If you care about the rule of law, democracy - all that stuff - then go for impeachment.

[many a good man]

16. I say start the official impeachment inquiry but only impeach if there are votes in the Senate

to convict.

Lay out all the evidence to inform the public but if half the Republicans in the Senate say they won't convict don't bother impeaching. Use the information instead to hang around the necks of Trump and his sycophants and convict him in a court of law for crimes after he loses the election.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. Yes, that is the path to take

We get our cake and eat it too. Investigate under an impeachment inquiry and then see how the senate is reacting.

Con man Mitch won't allow a normal impeachment process. He'll have it at midnight or prevent cameras or delay, delay, delay. Or falsely present it and ensure Trump remains in office and all the crimes listed in the impeachment documents will be hell to prosecute after he's out of office.

So, there really isn't any way to present an impeachment to the Senate while Mitch the Con is in office. But get him out and we'll see if another Trump sycophant pops out.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

18. You immediately foul your argument with unfounded claims, such as...

"Taking the Impeachment path will lead Dems to landslide WH, House, Senate, and gubernatorial wins in 2020."

That claim has absolutely no foundation in fact and is highly speculative. There is no promise land in American politics and never will be so long as Republicans have potentially unlimited funding and clandestine support from around the globe at their disposal. Those unknown factors render long-term election predictions virtually useless.

Therefore, no landslide can credibly be predicted. We all wish it were as simple and straightforward as you have claimed.

Further, broadcasting such claims will tend to weaken Democratic Party efforts for GOTV and fundraising. If impeachment began and everyone then thought a landslide was forthcoming, many Democrats might just stay home or not bother to contribute.

I support opening an impeachment inquiry as soon as practical, but I also know there's procedures that must be followed to keep the process within the Constitution and our laws, and to ensure maximum impact with the best political timing.

We must also respect the fact that Congress cannot spend 100% of its time on investigations. They have other functions that must be performed such as budgets to maintain at least minimum government functionality.

[BlueMTexpat]

22. + a million or so! eom

[mia]

19. Not impeaching sends 'horrible messages' to voters.

This comment from the DKOS diary sums it up for me.

By NOT impeaching,
1) Those who don’t pay close attention to politics are being told by the Dems that Trump hasn’t done anything bad enough to warrant impeachment because they could do so and are not;

2) Those who pay very close attention to politics see that the Dems are utterly failing to do their Constitutional duty for political reasons.

Both are horrible messages to send to voters.

https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1865464

[yardwork]

20. I disagree. The Senate will not remove Trump. Impeachment gives us nothing.

We need to focus on requiring paper ballots and securing our elections from hacking.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

32. Secure elections super important. But impeaching without referral is Tribe's third option.

Impeaching with referral to the Senate for a failed trial can give us less than nothing: tRump would crow about it endlessly like he is with Mueller, and just as fakely but it would swing some voters.

No impeachment seems weak and not exercising oversight.

[yardwork]

37. Timing is everything.

Pelosi clearly intends to have hearings in the House, but doing it now is a waste. We need hearings in 2020, when most people begin paying attention to the election.

With the senate controlled by Republicans, the only way to remove Trump is at the ballot box.

We MUST secure our elections. This should be s bipartisan effort. If the Republicans don't care about securing our elections, the people will ask why not.

[Dorn]

24. 1999 Senate acquitted Clinton, in 2000 Republicans won Presidency & House, in 2002 they won Senate

Please explain again how Impeachment is bad for truth, justice, and the American way.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

34. Gore really won, but a suit riot at the counting office & SCotUS swung it. . . . nt

[Trumpocalypse]

39. January of 1999

The election was almost 2 years later which is several lifetimes in politics. By the time of the 2000 election there were many other issues at play.

And the GOP stole the presidency in 2000, with Ralph Nader driving the getaway car.

[Funtatlaguy]

25. I have seen very good arguments both for and against impeachment.

What is unknowable is how that slim patch of undecideds would react.
Would they see Dems as strong and doing their job or would they see it as overreach and agree with Trump that he is a victim.
We just can’t know until it happens.
We don’t know how the media will play it.
I do know that Nancy is smart as hell and I pray that she makes the right choice.

[mopinko]

36. i have the feeling that it is the unpredictability that is the hold up.

and i concur. as long as we are in 2 different realities, it is hard to figure out how it could play out.

the thought of how this is gonna play out on fox keeps me up sometimes.

[duforsure]

27. He's weaponizing OUR government

By appointments from firings, against us, and for his getting absolute power to hold on to it , and prevent he and his family being prosecuted and held accountable for all their crimes.

[hughee99]

29. I don't believe we can have Dems saying he obviously committed

Crimes and that he should be in jail, while at the same time, saying we can’t, or shouldn’t, impeach him. It makes it hard to argue that the Dems are doing their job and working in the best interests of the American people.

[Susan Calvin]

46. Yep. nt

[Recursion]

30. If Trump is acquitted, he wins re-election (nt)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. Eschew binary thinking. Do non-X & all is lost! Do X & dog will deliver Promised Land! Nah to both.

Binary thinking is good for transistors, not minds.

Reality is almost never 100% or 0%.

[kentuck]

33. They need to get the facts out to the people...

...the best way to do that is with an inquiry with witnesses and questions.

[SKKY]

35. I can think of 77,740 reasons why you are wrong.

[Trumpocalypse]

38. What evidence is there to back this up? nt

[LexVegas]

40. Well, since commenters on dkos said so....

[zanana1]

41. We have to vote him out.

In my opinion, Trump's base will just get stronger if we try to impeach him. Impeachment doesn't mean he will be ousted from power. Clinton was impeached but remained in the White House. He'd just be censured and he'd have even more to yell about at his rallies. Besides, impeachment would never get past Mitch McConnell.

[Susan Calvin]

45. It's not the impeachment per se, it's the hearings. On television. nt

[Fiendish Thingy]

42. The Constitution can't wait until 2020

Now is the time for courage and conviction, not fear based defeatism and political calculations.

Country before party.

[Susan Calvin]

44. Yep. nt

[sarisataka]

43. Another landslide prediction...

I remember how well that worked out in 2016.