Serious question: What will it take for Senate Republicans to vote for impeachment ?

[steve2470]

I ask this question, partially because of this tweet:

Link to tweet

Current thinking is, what, maybe Romney ? Maybe Murkowski ? Collins will do her usual "very concerned tap dance".

Granted, I am a lifelong Democratic Party member and Democratic donor, so the evidence is blindingly obvious to me. I am also paying attention and have been since 2016.

Is the Trump cult really that impervious to corruption evidence ? Would it take the economy cratering to 2008 or Great Depression levels for them to wake up ?

[PJMcK]

1. Pigs flying?

Hell frozen over?

A raise from my boss?

ETA: Sorry, you asked a serious question and i responded with snark. Enjoy your weekend!

[steve2470]

2. no worries, we have to laugh or we will cry! Have a great weekend! nt

[DBoon]

26. Pigs *do* fly

They just need to pay for a first class seat and make it through TSA

[durablend]

3. Nothing.

And if Hillary were in office and had done 1/100th of the things Twittler had done they would impeach in a New York minute.

[FreepFryer]

4. A successful motion for a rules change in the Senate to conduct the vote as a secret ballot. nt

[rzemanfl]

29. Then the Repukes wouldn't know who the "traitors" who failed to toe

the line were. The downside is they could still vote to acquit and Dems wouldn't be able to use their votes against them in the next election.

[not_the_one]

5. serious answer, nothing.

They have officially thrown in the towel, and are willing to let our democracy die.

And we must hang that around their necks during the next election. Like their tee shirt says, "better Russian, than Democrat". We need to make sure everyone knows which side the republican party is on.

There should not be a single republican elected, or re-elected.

If the truth can get out there, enough Americans will recognize the shit hole we have dug for ourselves, and do the right thing.

PLUS we need to get the non-voters to vote, AND get the young to vote.

The vote margin could be so big that no amount of hacking or gerrymandering could save them.

It can happen.

edit to add bold comment, and spelling

[Kablooie]

6. if McConnell felt threatened Trump would be gone.

He decides whether Trump stays or goes.

[PRETZEL]

12. In a sad, sad way

I tend to think you're right.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Brain implants

Clearly they got none.

[FM123]

8. Self Interest. Fear?

While we hope that those who are leaving will give trump the finger on the way out ( 3 are retiring) and those in vulnerable states added to those like Romney who are a question mark - there are 30 that are NOT up for re-election in 2020 along with trump. They do not have to fear the magats and can vote any way that serves them. Or scares them.

[Takket]

9. Drumpf would have to switch parties

[Imperialism Inc.]

10. There isn't anything because their voters,

and let's face it many independents, just don't care.

Vote will be 47-53, possibly 45-55 if we lose Manchin and Sinema.

Possibly we should pivot to censure in the House and be done with it.

[Bettie]

11. I don't think there is anything that could make them

vote for anything Orange Hitler doesn't want.

[Atticus]

13. Real time video of their children with guns to their heads in "undisclosed locations". That

MIGHT do it.

[still_one]

14. It will be less than 5. It sure won't be the needed 20, and I won't be surprised if there are one

or two Senate Democrats who may not vote to convict

The real judge and jury will be the public, and they will give their answer in 2020

[steve2470]

15. I think you're right

If Rep. Hurd of Texas (who is ex-CIA and retiring from Congress) is okie dokie with President Corruption, why the fuck should Senate R's care?

[still_one]

33. Pretty much what you speculated in your OP

[Cosmocat]

32. The over and under is 1

MIGHT get Mitt ...

[cbdo2007]

16. That's why we have to sway public opinion with the impeachment hearings...

The Senate will never vote to remove Trump...BUT the Republican party would be committing political suicide if they had someone run for President who had been impeached and who is only polling at like 20%, lower than the Dem candidate, and lower than Bloomberg.

[gibraltar72]

17. 65%

[ChoppinBroccoli]

18. They Have To Be Forced To Choose Between Trump And Themselves

That's the ONLY thing that will do it. I thought that they'd see their poll numbers going down with the Trumptanic in 2018 and start severing ties with him then. That didn't happen, and I'm still not sure why. And I thought that certainly every Republican up for re-election in 2020 would try to distance himself/herself from Trump, especially now that it's clear he's a criminal, but that's looking like it won't happen either. I honestly don't get the slavish loyalty to a guy who clearly has no loyalty to anyone else. Is it that they fear the wrath of "his base"? His base is like 20% of the country (NOT a big enough group to make anyone nervous). I honestly don't get it.

That's why I'm saying the ONLY way to get Republicans to turn on Trump is to conclusively demonstrate to them that it's either Trump or themselves. Support him and lose your job. Then and only then will they turn on him.

[COLGATE4]

19. I don't mean to he snippy, but - Nothing

We are into full-blown tribalism now. No facts, nothing will change their decision to support the Idiot-in-Chief. They are 100% in to him.

[wryter2000]

24. A tell in the hearings

One felt comfortable talking about “your team and our team.”

[Alpeduez21]

20. The idea of the "reasonable republican"

is a pipe dream. STOP HOPING FOR AN EPIPHANY WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. They have sold out completely. There is no integrity or sense of value among them. Well that's not entirely true. Their values consist of support for rapists. Support for child molesters. Support for sexual predators. Support for restricting voting rights. Support for racism. Support for abuse of immigrants and those who are poverty stricken. Support for pollution. They endorse for profit prison. THEY HAVE SHOWN US WHO THEY ARE. If you support the republican party THIS IS WHAT YOU SUPPORT. One may argue they support fiscal conservatism or whatever bullshit is spouted for the republican party.

No I don't believe the Senate will convict.

[bluedigger]

21. Trump calling for churches to be taxed.

That's about the only thing.

[MineralMan]

22. There is nothing that will do that. Our recourse

will be to defeat Republicans in the 2020 election in November and eliminate majority control in the Senate, as well as elected a Democrat to the White House.

That is a goal that can be accomplished, but only if we turn out a historical, record number of Democrats to vote. If we do that, we will prevail. If we do not do that, we will not prevail.

It seems to me that the answer is quite simple. Its going to be up to us to make that happen.

[TwilightZone]

40. Agreed.

That has always been the case. Impeachment is a tool to provide voters with as much information as possible to make that decision, regardless of whatever else we might claim it to be or thought it could be.

Removal was, and is, almost assuredly a zero-chance proposition.

[chriscan64]

23. What would it take? A time machine.

We no longer live in a country where indisputable facts and evidence change minds. "He didn't do it" or "It wasn't that bad" couldn't work for Nixon, the obviousness of the facts changed minds in the Congress and the public. Even if they were politically motivated, Republican congressmen understood that the damning facts would be reported accurately and believed by the public.

I have been watching the same movie over and over during this administration: A week of things that make Trump look bad summed up on Washington Week on Friday, and by Sunday the necessary mental gymnastics to make it look not so bad have been prepared for Meet the Press et al.

For Senators to vote for impeachment, it would take the loss of voter support for Trump. That would take policy reversals on immigration or abortion which are not coming.

[lostnfound]

25. Trump declaring himself a gay pro-abortion gun liberal democrat nt

[Joe941]

27. Trump shooting someone on 5th ave?

[mindfulNJ]

28. Three ghosts

visiting them all on the hour in the middle of the night?

Honestly... I have no idea.

[AJT]

30. The Senate GOP will not convict. It will be the dems that end up being

"under investigation" until election day. The next year is going to be a nightmare for dems and anyone that crossed 45, Barr will see to it.

[The Blue Flower]

31. When Vlad is done with them

If the point of diminishing returns is reached, the puppet master will have his minions cut the puppet loose.

[beachbumbob]

34. Nothing, they, the GOP, trump and majority of media are collaborators of

Russia. Really no doubt at this point.

The idiot republican voters not smart enough to connect the dots

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. Personally witnessing Trump performing an abortion while molesting a Cub Scout.

Maybe. If he does it in a church.

[randr]

36. When they see their chances for reelection disappear

is my best hope.
The chances they have rigged the whole thing and are not at all worried about winning is my biggest fear.

[onenote]

37. A Democratic President.

[VOX]

38. Not possible. Republicans do not care about this country or its laws. They only want POWER.

It’s abundantly clear that Republicans aren’t the least bit concerned about this country, or the rule of law. No deed is to foul for them; name the crime, and they will lay blame elsewhere, then claim conspiracy, and manufacture “crimes” to project onto the opposition. All with the aid of their disinformation apparatus: Fox, Breitbart, hate radio, etc.

Democracy is hanging by VERY slender thread.

[mshasta]

39. for trump to be black with a name like Obama

and last name Clinton

[madinmaryland]

41. A sticky white stain on a blue dress.

Oh never mind. Stormy Daniels got $140k for that.

[Poiuyt]

42. Senate republicans would vote to impeach if republican voters turned against trump

Right now, trump still has a very high approval rating among republicans. If republican voters were to turn against him, he'd be gone in a second.

[Kid Berwyn]

43. A vote to acquit is a vote for Putin.

TRUMP IS A TRAITOR.

All the rest of his corruptions matter, but the BIGGEST THING is Trump advances Russia at the expense of the United States.

[kentuck]

44. When the polls of their base reaches a point of diminishing returns

In other words, when they are similarly weakened to the point where there is no significant difference between supporting Trump and not supporting Trump. That would probably be about 30% or lower?

It is now about self-survival.

[OnDoutside]

46. It will be too late at that stage, which makes me happy.

[OnDoutside]

45. Walter is 100% right. Even Will Hurd, who is on the way out, was a slavish rat yesterday. Amash will

be proven by history to be THE colossus of the Republican Party.

[JimGinPA]

47. Rubles & Kompromat