Can Republicans vote Present on the conviction vote? They should

[pwb]

do that if they don't want to be on the record for Impeaching trump. Making two thirds votes for conviction easier ?

[flor-de-jasmim]

1. I think the opposite is true.

2/3 of those present to convict
Therefore, saying "present" would be a gutless vote to acquit.

[pwb]

2. We differ on this ha?

Senators can vote Yea, Nay, or present. Pesent is not a vote.

[getagrip_already]

4. 2/3'ds of those present must vote to convict....

It doesn't matter how the others vote. It's not a ratio of yay to nay, it's a ratio of yay to those present to vote.

Now if they simply don't appear for the vote, that would work.

[Mike 03]

6. I think it could work too.

It would require some strategizing beforehand, and perhaps some realization that there isn't that much benefit to the Republican Party by keeping Trump around, and that "the base" Trump brought in is too devoted to Trump and too unreliable to be of that much valuable to the party going forward.

I mean, maybe... You never know...

[getagrip_already]

7. the numbers are just daunting though....

There has to be a solid wave of gop defections to get to 2/3's.

For example, if 10 gop senators simply didn't show up to vote, we would still need 60 votes. So in essence we go from 17 gop votes needed to 20.

You actually need more gop defections using this approach than if they straight up voted to convict.

[Wounded Bear]

12. I think your math is faulty...

Now if 10 GOPers vote present (show up but don't vote) the numbers don't change, we still need 17 defections.

But if 10 GOPers don't show up, the number present drops to 90, 60 votes needed to convict, which means we need 10 GOPers to convict.

[getagrip_already]

13. yes, but I was including the 10 who stayed away....

10 +10... vs. 17.

We would need the support of both the 10 to stay away and the 10 to vote to convict. That's where the number came from.

[OneBlueDotBama]

3. They could have a thing...

the day of the vote, family emergency, have to vacuum the hall, car is making a funny noise... 2/3rds of those physically present

[SunStar]

5. Can they. Yes, but that's the same as a nay vote

The requirement is 2/3 of senators present.
If they wanted to vote for conviction without actually voting for conviction they could 'furiously' boycott the vote en masse and be elsewhere, but that's about it.

[pwb]

9. How is voting present a no vote?

?

[SunStar]

11. basic math

You need 2/3 of senators present to convict.

If a senator is present and votes present, they are not voting to convict so their numbers count towards the number present, but do not help convict. Any vote that isn't a yay vote helps Trump.

If 100 are present, you need 67 yays to vote.
If 60 vote Yay, 15 vote present, 25 vote nay then 60 is less than 67=no conviction
If 60 vote Yay, 25 vote nay, and 15 don't show up, then (60+25) x 2/3 =56. 60 is greater than 56 = convict

bottom line, if they're there and not voting yay, they are action to not convict.

[Bettie]

8. I don't think that any of them will have a single problem

with the galloping hypocrisy of voting no on conviction.

Have you seen these guys the last four...no scratch that, since Reagan? They have zero ethics, zero care for anything but their own bank accounts.

[mopinko]

10. they could stay home.

as long as all are present, we need 67 votes. if they stay home, it's 2/3 of those present.
i predict some will stay home.