# The Trump Impeachment Inquiry **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771 "2019-09-24T20:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/181 "2019-09-25T16:08:23Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > Could it not have been because those two examples were cases of Political Butt-Hurt? > Apple or lemon meringue? > > … That’s true, but they are the only examples we have. Blueberry, please. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/182 "2019-09-25T16:11:59Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So it turns out to be a nothing-burger. Or a status-quo burger. Enough for the Democrats to pounce. Not enough for the GOP to be compelled to abandon Trump. > > What’s for dinner? Crow? Just kidding. Anyway, did I read the transcript right? In it, I seemed to read Trump asking the Ukraine to investigate his own former Ambassador, Marie Louise Yovanovitch. Perhaps I got that wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/183 "2019-09-25T16:14:00Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > If you guys had so much support and backing you wouldn’t of lost the election, hundreds of judges, the Supreme Court, and very likely the next election too. > > That’s the reality. Let me get this straight…a right-wing poster is employing the “I felt threatened tactic”? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/184 "2019-09-25T16:14:31Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > What’s absolutely evident from the transcript is that there was no quid pro quo, and that means no smoking gun, like was overbearingly pushed by the Dems and the basis of their whole “inquiry”. So we got Trump segueing immediately from what I can to do help Ukraine into, you need to manufacture a scandal on my political opponent, but no quid pro quo. I assume that when you see movies where a mob boss segues from telling a deadbeat to pay him the money he owes into asking how his daughter is enjoying her new elementary school, you think that he’s just being friendly. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/185 "2019-09-25T16:16:44Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > I don’t think any of them have what it takes to beat trump, especially face to face. That’s the tough thing about him, he always shoots from the hip, unrehearsed. His points are genuine, his insults raw. Everyone else is rehearsed, talking points, non-genuine political babble. Can you not at least accept the possibility that Trump is an aberration? That in fact, someone like him is so rare in modern American politics that it just might not work the second time around. You have to go back to the 19th century to find such insults that Trump spews out being used on a regular basis in presidential elections. And this is in addition to your false assumption that is points are “genuine”. They are in fact bullshit most of the time. Have you not heard and seen the same rallies as I have? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/186 "2019-09-25T16:16:45Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > Regarding impeachment helping or harming Trump, and what I said in post #128, I just saw this [Politico](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/25/impeachment-poll-pelosi-trump-1510382) article, which is about a poll showing a lack of support for impeachment. Typical of articles like this, it says nothing about how an impeachment would actually affect the respondents’ votes, and nothing about why some don’t support it. I once made a half-facetious comment to a friend that a big reason that it’s not supported may be that people don’t want it to screw up their TV viewing. And also, giving the horrendously low opinion that people have of Congress, they’re sick of them all already, and can’t stomach the idea of having to hear about impeachment from them day in and day out. I read the whole poll, and nothing address the why of it all. I would guess that one reason such questions aren’t asked is that not just the impeachment process itself is enough for one to know how it would affect their vote. Obviously, what comes out in the process is of utmost importance, so why ask a hypothetical? So again, I do not think it’s a given that impeachment hearings, etc, are going to help Trump. This isn’t 1974 or even 1996 (whenever it was). This isn’t messing up anyones TV viewing habits. Except maybe those who are on their last piece of straw with late-night talk hosts. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/187 "2019-09-25T16:19:44Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > At this point I don’t think Biden is the best 2020 candidate. The whole tone of this Ukraine thing seems like it will play out more like Clinton with the emails rather than Obama and the birth certificate or Warren and her Native American heritage or lack thereof. IMHO, You’re playing straight into Trump Republicans’ hands, if you believe that about Biden. They’re not going to go after Warren on Native American heritage. They’re going to paint her as a SOCIALIST!! SOCIALIST!! SOCIALIST!!! As I heard it said yesterday, most American oligarchs, Trump voters and soft independents will vote for a sociopath over a “socialist.” That will give Trump the win. I think this is true. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/188 "2019-09-25T16:20:25Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > Not groking the arithmetic behind the idea that impeachment is guaranteed to put Trump back in office. … \*\*Precisely \*\*because of the kind of thinking illustrated PERFECTLY in **Annoyed** ’s posts: > [@Annoyed](#): > > Well, considering most of what you write here is vox/buzzfeed style “journalism” and speculation, based on absolutely zero evidence whatsoever, yeah, all is well. > > What’s absolutely evident from the transcript is that there was no quid pro quo, and that means no smoking gun, like was overbearingly pushed by the Dems and the basis of their whole “inquiry”. > > So at best the left got their week long news cycle, and egg in their face, and most people still won’t support impeachment. > > At worst (or best for me) they keep pushing it and inadvertently reveal some nasty Biden dirt, pushing the lefts best chance out the window. > > So, yeah. > [@Annoyed](#): > > I don’t think any of them have what it takes to beat trump, especially face to face. That’s the tough thing about him, he always shoots from the hip, unrehearsed. His points are genuine, his insults raw. Everyone else is rehearsed, talking points, non-genuine political babble. > [@Annoyed](#): > > If you guys had so much support and backing you wouldn’t of lost the election, hundreds of judges, the Supreme Court, and very likely the next election too. > > That’s the reality. The question is, how prevalent is this misguided refusal to see reality among voters? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/189 "2019-09-25T16:24:48Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > Not groking the arithmetic behind the idea that impeachment is guaranteed to put Trump back in office. It’s the notion that there can be no legitimate, country-before-party reason to do it, which is based on the Republicans’ own reason for doing it to Clinton. Their own impeachment effort failed and backfired because it was based on spite - they first decided to do it and then looked for a justification. They can’t conceive that anyone could have higher and more responsible motivations than themselves, because they can’t conceive of what they might be. So, this impeachment effort has to be exactly the same thing, right? This is just retaliation for Clinton, right? Both sides do it, right? Well, for a good part of the electorate, that \*is \*right. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/190 "2019-09-25T16:28:27Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > IMHO, You’re playing straight into Trump Republicans’ hands, if you believe that about Biden. > > They’re not going to go after Warren on Native American heritage. They’re going to paint her as a SOCIALIST!! SOCIALIST!! SOCIALIST!!! > > As I heard it said yesterday, most American oligarchs, Trump voters and soft independents will vote for a sociopath over a “socialist.” That will give Trump the win. > > I think this is true. In which case we have Buttigieg and Harris as the mainstream alternates to Biden. I think either one of them would do better in a general election against Trump than Biden would, and not just because of Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/191 "2019-09-25T16:28:33Z")
Yeah, but it’s not like the quoted poster was wavering, so not too sure that proves DrDeth’s point. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/192 "2019-09-25T16:30:44Z")
What is glaringly obvious is that there is a segment of the population that would be OK with Trump doing anything. I mean ANYthing. Trump could go on Fox News with his underpants on his head and declare himself dictator for life. And this group would argue that this is a good plan, and we should simply do what Trump says. They would do so in all sincerity. Trump could declare that Vladimir Putin is the new head of the NSA. And this group would agree, and tell any detractors that they were bad citizens for not approving the president’s incredibly wise move. They are unreachable. Completely impervious to logic, facts and reality. If you tell them to face reality, they become confused, and take this as some kind of threat. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/193 "2019-09-25T16:31:59Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > This isn’t 1974 or even 1996 (whenever it was). This isn’t messing up anyones TV viewing habits. Except maybe those who are on their last piece of straw with late-night talk hosts. Well, sure. Hence the \*half-facetious \*description of my remark. The point is simply that there could be many reasons why someone doesn’t want an impeachment process to begin, and that you can’t draw conclusions that the person being impeached will necessarily be helped by it. Since no reason for why someone is against it is never offered. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/194 "2019-09-25T16:32:24Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s the notion that there can be no legitimate, country-before-party reason to do it, which is based on the Republicans’ own reason for doing it to Clinton. Their own impeachment effort failed and backfired because it was based on spite - they first decided to do it and then looked for a justification. They can’t conceive that anyone could have higher and more responsible motivations than themselves, because they can’t conceive of what they might be. > > So, this impeachment effort has to be exactly the same thing, right? This is just retaliation for Clinton, right? Both sides do it, right? Well, for a good part of the electorate, that \*is \*right. Not to pick on you specifically, since a few others have mentioned this I in this thread as well. How exactly did Clinton’s impeachment backfire? Gore lost in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/195 "2019-09-25T16:32:45Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > If you guys had so much support and backing you wouldn’t of lost the election, hundreds of judges, the Supreme Court, and very likely the next election too. > > That’s the reality. If you guys had so much support you wouldn’t need Russian assistance, Ukrainian assistance, voter suppression and purges, gerrymandering, dirty NRA money etc to squeak out a victory based on a few tens of thousands of votes in 3 states. And you still lost by 3 MILLION votes. 3,000,000 votes. If what you say is true, then lets have a true open election, no interference, no shenanigans, everybody votes, every vote counts. Let’s do that and see how badly your side gets trounced. Unless you are willing to do that, you should go ahead and shut up about the last election and the things your side stole as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/196 "2019-09-25T16:34:00Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > Except you didn’t say that did you. You said the quicker I accept your reality the less painful it will be. > > That sounds like a threat. Not my reality. The actual reality. The one we really live in. Not the fevered delusional one marketed by the right wing media that is based on fear and hatred and falsities. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/197 "2019-09-25T16:36:35Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > As I heard it said yesterday, most American oligarchs, Trump voters and soft independents will vote for a sociopath over a “socialist.” That will give Trump the win. I don’t disagree with this. But (excluding independents, because I don’t know exactly what that means) they would also vote for him over a perfectly reasonable Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/198 "2019-09-25T16:38:39Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > How exactly did Clinton’s impeachment backfire? Gore lost in 2000. Not to rehash \*that \*hijack of an election, but no, he didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/199 "2019-09-25T16:39:00Z")
In some people’s minds, “reality” can be anything you want it to be. Don’t like something? Just quote some “alternative facts” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/200 "2019-09-25T16:40:14Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Clinton getting a blowjob in his office is minor. Maybe but 1. Sexual relations with an intern is not. Most CEOs would be fired for the same behavior. 2. The articles of impeachment was not about sex, but rather perjury to a grand jury. The same thing that got Judge Nixon convicted a decade before. But thank you for the great example of a strawman fallacy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=11)