If I am understanding this right, the impeachment trial is going to be disaster for the Republicans.

[RDANGELO]

As I am reading it, his lawyers are not even going to attempt to defend any of his actions associated with the attempted insurrection on Jan 6th. They are simply going to make the argument that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional because he is not in office. In other words, the evidence is so bad they don't have a plausible defense for his actions. I have read the full text of Trump's speech on Jan 6th. I have been expecting them to be making some defense of it such as being taken out of context. I think that the managers must have a very compelling case. Trump is not going to be convicted; the real question here is what is going to be the effect on public opinion toward Trump and the Republican Party. The result will be that chasm between the Republican Party and the rest of the country will deepen if they don't convict him. They wont.

[servermsh]

1. Yes, just think of it as our side driving a further wedge between various Republicans

Hopefully over time we can put so much pressure on them that they split into two parties, making the Democratic party a dominant force for a long time. That's the dream.

[Kablooie]

3. It will be a triumph of Constitutional integrity for conservatives.

Republicans will all vote not to convict because they have a deep respect for the Constitution and would never do anything to defile it such as voting Trump guilty, no matter what his crimes.

Everyone else will just see his crimes.

[CentralMass]

4. Somehow I dont think its going to harm them one damn bit.

[TwilightZone]

5. Agreed.

We heard the same things about the first impeachment and I see little evidence that it harmed them in any way.

Dems had to do it, but in the long run, I don't think it's going to impact much of anything. It's certainly not going to harm GOP senators who are in safe, red state seats, which is a lot of them. Their constituents want them to acquit Trump.

[Ligyron]

11. The Repugs lost the Presidency and the Senate afterward so I'd have to say it did.

[soothsayer]

12. Agreed

[TwilightZone]

13. Can't give credit to the impeachment for that.

The only time he got a notable bump the entire last year of his presidency was during impeachment and immediately after he was acquitted.

Stacey Abrams gets credit for Georgia, handing us the Senate. Biden - pretty much the perfect antidote to Trump - and an excellent turnout machine get credit for the presidency, with Trump's disastrous response to Covid playing a supporting role.

Now explain the House.

[Ligyron]

16. It wasn't any one thing, that's way too simplistic, but a majority of voters wanted him impeached.

Just as polls show a majority want him removed never to hold public office again. IDK what happened with the house races and haven't looked into it but I know the Democrats have been pretty awful with messaging.

I'm 68 and quite optimistic about our future now, unlike even a year ago. If we hang tough with the filibuster threat and can pass enough bills, and enact enough policy that actually benefits normal people (as opposed to corporations and the rich), things such as getting additional stimulus into people's hands, straighten out Trump's disastrous Covid response and get everybody vaccinated and back to work and back in school, make voting by mail the norm for everybody by passing a bill or two, enacting a public option for health insurance, among the many, many others in our platform that polls show the public in favor of... and then make it crystal clear to the, know nothing about how government works crowd, that it's the Democrats that are making their lives better ... then I think we'll win over enough of the voting public to increase our majorities both houses as people see their lives clearly getting better.

Biden has assembled a team of talented, competent people who are going to turn things around in this country and we just have to make damn sure Joe average knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Democrats who did it.

[fescuerescue]

6. It will kill their approval numbers for awhile

The question is whether people will remember long enough so that it's still fresh in November of 2022.

2 years is a long time in politics.

[global1]

7. Saying It Is Unconstitutional Cause He's No Longer In Office....

perhaps ends things before a trial even begins. If successful they avoid having any of the Dems arguments against Trump being heard and the calling of any witnesses.

I think, however, there is a precedent that someone was impeached after they left office. Not a president but some other former office holder.

[maxsolomon]

10. they lose every 50:50 vote.

there will be witnesses this time. everyone in the room was a witness.

this indictment is constitutional and they will lose that gambit.

[maxsolomon]

8. The lawyers wanting to use that strategy just quit. 5 of them.

Asshole wanted to use Election Fraud as his defense. They disagreed and quit.

It's going to be a fucking circus.

[struggle4progress]

9. I'll keep watchin until the fat lady sings

[dem4decades]

14. We're either documenting the end of the Republic or saving it.

[Initech]

15. Couldn't happen to a nicer group of assholes!