Why Trump Allies Want To Talk Impeachment And Dem Leadership Doesnt [View all]

[brooklynite]

Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON ― With President Donald Trump’s approval rating sinking and congressional Republicans pushing a deeply unpopular agenda, Democrats have a real chance to take back the House. But that opportunity is being complicated by one word that is coming up with increasing regularity on the midterm campaign trail: “impeachment.”

That’s the conclusion House Democratic leaders have reached through internal polling, and it’s one that top Republicans, including allies of the Trump administration, shared in conversations with HuffPost.

“In focus groups in swing districts and in Georgia-06 (where a special election is being held this June) ― where we do think Trump is underwater ― people still very much respect the office of the presidency and don’t like the idea of Democrats jumping to any conclusions on such a serious thing,” said Meredith Kelly, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, “even if they don’t necessarily like Trump or think he is doing a good job.”

The party in the minority always grapples with just how oppositional it should be in its effort to regain power. Rarely, however, has the concept of impeachment been so openly, and so early, discussed in the course of midterm elections. And that’s for a reason: Trump, with a seemingly daily appetite for controversy, has invited the focus. But, secondarily, some Democrats worry that by broaching the possibility, they risk ostracizing the swing voters they need to win seats.

“All this talk of impeachment does is it makes Republicans imagine Nancy Pelosi running the House,” said one close Trump ally, who said he and the administration welcomed the impeachment discussion. “You couldn’t ask for a bigger motivator for our base.”