General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do y'all realize that the minute the investigation is called an "impeachment," the entire complexion [View all]StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)It's a strategy to ensure that impeachment actually ACCOMPLISHES something and isn't just some kind of feel good but empty red meat gesture to the base.
As a lawyer, I've sometimes had clients who insisted on suing even though I told them they were unlikely to win and, even if they did, they'd recover no money. Oh, I don't care, they said. "It's not the money. It's the PRINCIPLE!"
And then we'd sue, either lose or win but not get any money and they were tee-totally pissed at me because they didn't get their money.
I learned that even when a client said, "It's not the money, it's the principle," it almost always was really the money.
In this case, people keep saying, "We must make a STATEMENT!" and "It's the PRINCIPLE!" But in the end, just making a statement that doesn't help us get this man from office - either through removal or election defeat"- doesn't really get us very far beyond making us feel good in the immediate aftermath. But once we finish high-fiving each other and look around to find him still standing there, not caring that he was impeached (in fact, probably reveling in it) and then going right on about his business and very possibly using our failure to remove him as rocket fuel toward reelection, I don't think we're going to feel all that great about our "statement."
This has to be done right. And right takes time and thought and strategy. I'm glad the people in charge of the carrying this out know that and aren't allowing themselves to be goaded into doing anything stupid that will result in plenty of sound and fury but signify nothing