# 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:** 101
**Author:** ![Fentoine\_Lum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fentoine\_Lum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fentoine_Lum)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2001 "2019-10-06T21:24:10Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Or he just said something that’s not a quote. Thanks for helping the short bus kids, guess they missed that it was not a quote attributed to another. Do they do crap like that here? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2002 "2019-10-06T21:24:51Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > As much as I would support Warren in any other election, I’d rather see a Biden presidency with a Secretary of Commerce Warren than another 4 years of the Trump Cabal. Even in the unlikely event Trump is removed from office in advance of the election, Pence (if he survives) or some other Republican nominee will simply carry on the Republican goal of demolishing our democracy as we know it. > > I hope Dems can accept this reality. If you think Dem voters are going to put aside their true preference and collectively hold their nose to vote for Biden simply because he polls well among independents, you are not accepting reality. ---
**Author:** ![Fentoine\_Lum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fentoine\_Lum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fentoine_Lum)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2003 "2019-10-06T21:31:33Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > If you think Dem voters are going to put aside their true preference and collectively hold their nose to vote for Biden simply because he polls well among independents, you are not accepting reality. The DNC argued in court they have no legal responsibility to put forth the candidate who won the primary. We’re all aware of that, no? That the DNC sees no issue with selecting a candidate against the wishes of its own voters? ---
**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:** [October 6, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2004 "2019-10-06T21:32:06Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > If you think Dem voters are going to put aside their true preference and collectively hold their nose to vote for Biden simply because he polls well among independents, you are not accepting reality. That is exactly what I fear. And why I am lapsing into despair for 2020. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2005 "2019-10-06T21:34:48Z")
Not sure we have seen enough to decide who is the most electable yet. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2006 "2019-10-06T21:36:00Z")
… and that’s why Trump should be impeached. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2007 "2019-10-06T21:37:12Z")
Hmmm. I respect any primary voter’s decision, whatever it is, on how to weigh the various factors — perceived electability, gut feeling, charisma, alignment with favorite issues… I just would love for each voter to spend one week each in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, talking and listening to whomever they meet, before making their decision. ---
**Author:** ![Fentoine\_Lum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b77776/32.png) [@Fentoine\_Lum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fentoine_Lum)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2008 "2019-10-06T21:40:42Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Hmmm. I respect any primary voter’s decision, whatever it is, on how to weigh the various factors — perceived electability, gut feeling, charisma, alignment with favorite issues… > > I just would love for each voter to spend one week each in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, talking and listening to whomever they meet, before making their decision. Yeah, I recall Shuckie Schumer’s “strategy” last time 'round too. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2009 "2019-10-06T21:50:11Z")
> [@Fentoine\_Lum](#): > > The DNC argued in court they have no legal responsibility to put forth the candidate who won the primary. We’re all aware of that, no? No, I’m not aware of that. What are you talking about ? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2010 "2019-10-06T22:26:47Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > That is exactly what I fear. And why I am lapsing into despair for 2020. Now is the time for spine and guts, not Chicken Little despair. Especially over the mere prospect that pipe dreams will go fulfilled. I mean, come on. Are you serious right now? [Biden is starting to lose ground to Warren.](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/25/warren-beats-biden-national-poll-1510726) If his own gaffe-ridden campaigning wasnt enough to get us to this point, Ukrainegate sure as hell is. I’m not saying he’s out for the count, but I question how anyone can be confident in his electability with today’s current events. And when I say electability, I’m talking about both the primary and general. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2011 "2019-10-06T22:36:22Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Hmmm. I respect any primary voter’s decision, whatever it is, on how to weigh the various factors — perceived electability, gut feeling, charisma, alignment with favorite issues… > > I just would love for each voter to spend one week each in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, talking and listening to whomever they meet, before making their decision. [Trump is losing in these states](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/07/10/as_goes_pennsylvania_so_goes_the_2020_election_140738.html), so that’s probably not where they should go. A better use of their time would be making sure they haven’t been purged from the voter rolls and lining up contingencies to ensure a flat tire won’t keep them from voting in November. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2012 "2019-10-06T22:40:38Z")
For the record I don’t give a fuck about whether Trump’s impeachment is good for the Democrats or bad and give even less of a fuck about what it means for Biden and Warren. Trump is guilty of impeachable crimes that border on treason. He needs to be held accountable and Democrats need to do everything they can to hold him accountable. If it turns out that doing the right thing is a negative, well, this country deserves what it gets. I think everyone is forgetting about the huge turnout in 2018, when notoriously docile Dems turned out and switched the House - without which none of this would even be in the discussion. That was a reaction to everything Trump was doing before this series of impeachable offenses. Should the worst case happen: The House impeaches, presents several articles of impeachment that are not frivolous, and sees the Senate either voting against impeachment on largely party lines and/or McConnell pulling some shenanigans, all those people who were engaged in 2018 will be there in 2020 when there is traditionally greater turnout for Democrats. And Trump’s base isn’t getting much larger. It may even be getting smaller - even if 90% of Trump voters enthusiastically come out for him again, that means 10% won’t. And he won the presidency by far less than that margin. But again, if Trump and the Republicans do get this through and win again in 2020, we got what we deserved. If we let Trump get away with his actions, same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2013 "2019-10-06T22:48:42Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Trump puts down the Democrats for “[sticking together](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/464534-trump-democrats-are-lucky-that-they-dont-have-any-mitt-romney-types)”. > > Wouldn’t that be great, the Democrats sticking together? I think you’re misreading it. This is Trump telling Republicans to stay loyal to him. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2014 "2019-10-06T23:02:57Z")
> [@Fentoine\_Lum](#): > > Thanks for helping the short bus kids, guess they missed that it was not a quote attributed to another. Do they do crap like that here? This is a warning for trolling. I’m going to give you a single chance to be a contributing member of this board. If you want to discuss any issue, you’re welcome to do so, as long as you do it civilly. If you do not, you will be banned. I recommend you familiarize yourself with the rules of the board, and each forum that you post in. Violations of forum rules will result in further sanction. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2015 "2019-10-06T23:41:40Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > For the record I don’t give a fuck about whether Trump’s impeachment is good for the Democrats or bad and give even less of a fuck about what it means for Biden and Warren. > > Trump is guilty of impeachable crimes that border on treason. He needs to be held accountable and Democrats need to do everything they can to hold him accountable. If it turns out that doing the right thing is a negative, well, this country deserves what it gets. > > I think everyone is forgetting about the huge turnout in 2018, when notoriously docile Dems turned out and switched the House - without which none of this would even be in the discussion. That was a reaction to everything Trump was doing before this series of impeachable offenses. Should the worst case happen: The House impeaches, presents several articles of impeachment that are not frivolous, and sees the Senate either voting against impeachment on largely party lines and/or McConnell pulling some shenanigans, all those people who were engaged in 2018 will be there in 2020 when there is traditionally greater turnout for Democrats. > > And Trump’s base isn’t getting much larger. It may even be getting smaller - even if 90% of Trump voters enthusiastically come out for him again, that means 10% won’t. And he won the presidency by far less than that margin. > > But again, if Trump and the Republicans do get this through and win again in 2020, we got what we deserved. If we let Trump get away with his actions, same thing. Lately I’ve been wondering if the best thing that could happen in 2020 would be retaking the Senate. I mean of course ousting Trump AND winning would be ideal, but if you had to pick just one? I dunno–maybe the Senate is better. McConnell’s skeletal hand grasps a seemingly unequaled control of power. And given his complete lack of ethics, and refusal to play by any rules, having him still in control of the Senate with a Dem president would be like what we saw in Obama’s second term–hamstrung, neutered gridlock. Even if Trump somecrazyhow pulled off the heist of the century and wins in 2020, if the left controls the Senate, they could finally hold him accountable. This is just me daydreaming–but at any rate I still feel like McConnell is the most dangerous person in The Empire. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2016 "2019-10-06T23:46:50Z")
> [@Fentoine\_Lum](#): > > Thanks for helping the short bus kids, guess they missed that it was not a quote attributed to another. Do they do crap like that here? Well, you used part of a famous cliche, and a snippet of the well-known “Violence is as American as cherry pie” quote from H. Rap Brown, and god knows what else was up your nose. Claim it’s original if you like, but we know better. I don’t know you, but I’m surprised that **CarnalK** didn’t recognize it. I thought he was sharper then that. I didn’t call you “meatball” though I was tempted, because it looks like **Bone** has his eagley eye on this thread. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2017 "2019-10-07T00:21:05Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2018 "2019-10-07T00:30:05Z")
> [@Dr.Colossus](#): > > Lately I’ve been wondering if the best thing that could happen in 2020 would be retaking the Senate. I mean of course ousting Trump AND winning would be ideal, but if you had to pick just one? I dunno–maybe the Senate is better. Looking at early [early predictions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_Senate_elections#Pre-election_predictions), only 5 seats are considered “tossup” by any of the polls - Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Maine and North Carolina. Democrats need to win 4 out of those 5 to gain a majority. 4 of those are currently held by Republicans, and the 5th is Alabama, which a Democrat won under very special circumstances (special election and running against Roy Moore). It may be possible, but I think if Dems do that well in 2020, they’d win the Presidency as well. While the opposite is not true (i.e. if Dems do well enough to beat Trump, it may still not be enough to get a Senate majority). ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2019 "2019-10-07T00:47:01Z")
Just an FYI, but while watching the LA/SL baseball game the net work played a Trump ad (filled as usual with dis-information) about Joe Biden. TBS has no comment line available to complain about the inappropriate nature of political ads during a non-partisan event, but I can only imagine we are going to see more of this. TBS network - you’re on notice that this kind of advertising is not going to be viewed favorably. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2020 "2019-10-07T00:54:10Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > Now is the time for spine and guts, not Chicken Little despair. Especially over the mere prospect that pipe dreams will go fulfilled. I mean, come on. Are you serious right now? > > [Biden is starting to lose ground to Warren.](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/25/warren-beats-biden-national-poll-1510726) If his own gaffe-ridden campaigning wasnt enough to get us to this point, Ukrainegate sure as hell is. I’m not saying he’s out for the count, but I question how anyone can be confident in his electability with today’s current events. **And when I say electability, I’m talking about both the primary and general**. Yep. Totally serious. I don’t think you and others recognize that Biden has been running a dual race for this entire time. He’s the _only_ Democratic candidate that’s running a primary _and_ a general election campaign simultaneously. Do you see Trump coming at Warren like he comes at Biden, day after day after day? I don’t. Warren has never been tested in a general election. Biden has. He’s already running in one. I understand the attraction of Warren. As I’ve previously said, she would be my preference in a more normal election year. > [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > For the record I don’t give a fuck about whether Trump’s impeachment is good for the Democrats or bad and give even less of a fuck about what it means for Biden and Warren. > > Trump is guilty of impeachable crimes that border on treason. He needs to be held accountable and Democrats need to do everything they can to hold him accountable. If it turns out that doing the right thing is a negative, well, this country deserves what it gets. > > I think everyone is forgetting about the huge turnout in 2018, when notoriously docile Dems turned out and switched the House - without which none of this would even be in the discussion. That was a reaction to everything Trump was doing before this series of impeachable offenses. Should the worst case happen: The House impeaches, presents several articles of impeachment that are not frivolous, and sees the Senate either voting against impeachment on largely party lines and/or McConnell pulling some shenanigans, all those people who were engaged in 2018 will be there in 2020 when there is traditionally greater turnout for Democrats. > > And Trump’s base isn’t getting much larger. It may even be getting smaller - even if 90% of Trump voters enthusiastically come out for him again, that means 10% won’t. And he won the presidency by far less than that margin. > > But again, if Trump and the Republicans do get this through and win again in 2020, we got what we deserved. If we let Trump get away with his actions, same thing. I do agree with nearly every word of your post, **John\_Stamos’\_Left\_Ear**. The only thing I think is being largely ignored is where the American oligarchs will put their money and their energy in the upcoming general election. Like it or not, this is the world we live in today, and it’s going to be like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Zuckerberg just relaxed Facebook rules that will allow blatantly misleading ads on his platform. He did it in direct response to Warren’s promise to break up his company. So in short, the American oligarchy will support any Republican against Warren. They will support Biden, or at least a significant number of them will, if he is the Democrats’ nominee. That’s the point I’m trying to make. > [@Dr.Colossus](#): > > **Lately I’ve been wondering if the best thing that could happen in 2020 would be retaking the Senate.** I mean of course ousting Trump AND winning would be ideal, but if you had to pick just one? I dunno–maybe the Senate is better. > > McConnell’s skeletal hand grasps a seemingly unequaled control of power. And given his complete lack of ethics, and refusal to play by any rules, having him still in control of the Senate with a Dem president would be like what we saw in Obama’s second term–hamstrung, neutered gridlock. > > Even if Trump somecrazyhow pulled off the heist of the century and wins in 2020, if the left controls the Senate, they could finally hold him accountable. > > This is just me daydreaming–but at any rate **I still feel like McConnell is the most dangerous person in The Empire**. Yes, yes, yes and yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=100) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=102)