# 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:** 106
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2101 "2019-10-08T00:13:02Z")
Not Constantinopulshit. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2102 "2019-10-08T00:19:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Trump Istanbullshit? > [@Ludovic](#): > > Not Constantinopulshit. I love you guys. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2103 "2019-10-08T00:33:21Z")
Trump earlier today > [@](#): > > “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!) Even for him this seems over the top. “My great and unmatched wisdom”? I think he is deliberately throwing stuff like this out and is working with his co-conspirators to try to establish a narrative where anything he says, no matter the subject, no matter to whom, no matter if documented, and no matter when, can be waved away and dismissed as ‘that’s just the way he talks. You’ve seen it yourself. It’s meaningless.’ ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2104 "2019-10-08T00:50:58Z")
Is there such a thing as “The Wizard of Oz defense”? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2105 "2019-10-08T01:09:23Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Trump earlier today Even for him this seems over the top. > > “My great and unmatched wisdom”? > > I think he is deliberately throwing stuff like this out and is working with his co-conspirators to try to establish a narrative where anything he says, no matter the subject, no matter to whom, no matter if documented, and no matter when, can be waved away and dismissed as ‘that’s just the way he talks. You’ve seen it yourself. It’s meaningless.’ I don’t think he’s destroyed the economies of any countries, but he has destroyed the economies of several businesses, all with Trump in their names. So he does have more skill in this area than the average president, since Harry Truman, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2106 "2019-10-08T01:19:03Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > That wasn’t the point, which was, simply give a quote or two that supports what you are arguing. If just saying, here’s a bunch of links, go off and see for yourself, then what’s the point of replying? Why bother and then not want talk about them specifically? …this post is addressing something we discussed last week. So refresh my memory. What the fuck are we talking about again? What is it you need evidence of again? > [@](#): > > Irrelevant to me. I would not just summarily dismiss something, and I’ve dismissed nothing here. But you did just summarily dismiss something. You said the links were too much to read. You wanted pull quotes. You insisted on pull quotes. > [@](#): > > And I don’t use “tactics”. Yeah, you do. > [@](#): > > The idea that if someone who has been shown to be likely wrong about something on the Dope won’t just admit it is hilarious to me. Who is it that is “likely wrong?” You can’t restart a conversation like this and expect me to go back 10-or-so pages to figure out what exactly it is you are talking about. > [@](#): > > Not denigrating the Dope, but this is just the Dope. Yep. The Dope. Dragging me back into a conversation (that I was only ever really peripherally involved in originally) that I only happened to notice because I happened to delve back into this thread. Only on the Dope. > [@](#): > > It’s not like my livelihood depends on it, like say a political operative on TV, and I would be more humilated in my mind if I resorted to such a thing rather than just saying I was wrong. Again remind me: what does this have to do with the conversation we were originally having? > [@](#): > > No doubt Trump’s _life story_ is deep and complex. The Moscow Project link goes back to the seventies. The article wasn’t about Trump’s life story. What was in the article was contextually relevant to what is happening now. You’ve read enough to realize that the story goes back to the seventies. Why don’t you read the rest? > [@](#): > > This is \*exactly \*why I asked for a few quotes. Because you didn’t want to read a long article? > [@](#): > > His whole life can’t be about the subject of whether he is being blackmailed. But an article about what Trump did in the seventies can be about **that subject**. The Moscow article wasn’t about “his whole life.” It was about specific instances in his life. > [@](#): > > But on that subject, the blackmail aspect being deep and complex. As of yet, to me, not so much. But then maybe other thread (see below) can convince me. Well yes. Its deep and complex. As I just said. > [@](#): > > Eh, please don’t. 🙂 I believe it was you who said there was a “shit-load” of evidence. **Care to discuss it** in the thread I started "Is Trump a Russian Asset? That’s a big reason I responded just now. Not particularly. If you want to start a new thread knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2107 "2019-10-08T01:42:49Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Trump earlier today Even for him this seems over the top. > > > [@](#): > > > > “As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!) > > “My great and unmatched wisdom”? > > **I think he is deliberately throwing stuff like this out and is working with his co-conspirators to try to establish a narrative where anything he says, no matter the subject, no matter to whom, no matter if documented, and no matter when, can be waved away and dismissed as 'that’s just the way he talks.** You’ve seen it yourself. It’s meaningless.’ Yes, spot-on (bolding mine). And in addition to that, he’s trying to shore up the “it’s just Trump trolling the media” excuse/theory that’s been offered for his self-incriminating ‘_China, you should investigate Biden_’ remarks. Today’s nutty tweet, over-the-top as you say, will be offered as “proof” that for Trump, Trolling the Media is a frequent habit. Over the years we’ve seen a long list of odd claims from Trump, and they are always utterly serious–the fruits of his narcissism. They are not due to Trump being deliberately outrageous. Virtually always, when he says stuff like ‘I’m a stable genius,’ he really means it (and intends that the claim should be taken seriously). But I would bet that for today, one of his advisers (Hannity or someone of that ilk) told him to put something really crazy in a tweet today, something like ‘my great and unmatched wisdom,’ and then Trump-enablers would be able to point to it as another case of Trump trolling the media. That would provide support for the ‘trolling’ excuse for the China remark. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2108 "2019-10-08T02:39:30Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Is there such a thing as “The Wizard of Oz defense”? Hopefully that’s the one where he gets flattened by a House… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2109 "2019-10-08T02:49:05Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I don’t think he’s destroyed the economies of any countries, but he has destroyed the economies of several businesses, all with Trump in their names. He destroyed a whole football league once, does that count? ---
**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 8, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2110 "2019-10-08T02:49:35Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Actually, he just licenses his name to the Turkish owner. > As usual, he claims to own something and the press accepts it. > [@enipla](#): > > Trump Istanbullshit? > [@Ludovic](#): > > Not Constantinopulshit. That’s nobody’s business but the Turks. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2111 "2019-10-08T03:10:25Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Just thought I’d share the E-mail I received from my (R) Congressional Representative in response to my expression of support for the impeachment of Trump, on the grounds of bribery and of abuse of power: > > “No evidence of impropriety”, indeed. Well, that’s it; case closed. If I were to attempt a letter like the one you sent… …well, I live in Kentucky. I’m stuck with McConnell and Rand Paul. ---
**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 8, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2112 "2019-10-08T03:50:53Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > If I were to attempt a letter like the one you sent… > > …well, I live in Kentucky. I’m stuck with McConnell and Rand Paul. Real talk: Forgoing the fact that I am giving up too much personal info, Kendra Horn (D Oklahoma) is my congress person. She is one of the 8 D holdouts re: impeachment given that she’s from a red state that flipped with the blue wave in '18, a double whammy. I feel like she needs to know the dimensions of my support for her, and what we as her true constituents expect of her. I realize her reticence giving her precipitous freshman congressional seat. Is it worth me barking up this tree? ---
**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 8, 2019, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2113 "2019-10-08T09:10:09Z")
> [@Dr.Colossus](#): > > Real talk: > > Forgoing the fact that I am giving up too much personal info, Kendra Horn (D Oklahoma) is my congress person. She is one of the 8 D holdouts re: impeachment given that she’s from a red state that flipped with the blue wave in '18, a double whammy. I feel like she needs to know the dimensions of my support for her, and what we as her true constituents expect of her. > > I realize her reticence giving her precipitous freshman congressional seat. Is it worth me barking up this tree? Bark away. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2114 "2019-10-08T10:12:27Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I don’t think he’s destroyed the economies of any countries Possibly America’s. > [@DWMarch](#): > > Hopefully that’s the one where he gets flattened by a House… Noice. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2115 "2019-10-08T11:32:34Z")
I just have one burning question. Was Trump’s call with Zelensky perfect? I hope the president lets us know soon! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2116 "2019-10-08T11:57:28Z")
The phone call was perfect. It was textbook, and then some. Parents, feel free to use it as a lesson for your dear, learning children who strive to make phone calls one day. :smack: Trump is an imbecile. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2019, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2117 "2019-10-08T12:20:43Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > If you want to start a new thread knock yourself out. You said nothing about the most important part of what I just wrote. I was and am interested in why \*specifically \* some people think Trump is being blackmailed. Someone posting a link and saying, literally “this”, is not an answer. There is a long precedent, obviously, of people being asked to defend what they link to here and in Great Debates. “Debate” being the key word. No one wanted to do that here. Fine. That’s why I started a specific thread on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2118 "2019-10-08T12:33:27Z")
[Oct. 1-6, 2019 Washington Post-Schar School national crosstabs](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1L-XRdXdqB2Rd0ImdcMC2yoCG8Nh-2rhdZN9xlbZaRqM/edit#gid=0) > [@](#): > > 1. As you may know, Congress has begun an impeachment inquiry that could lead to Trump being removed from office. Do you think Congress should or should not have begun an impeachment inquiry of Trump? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat? ```auto **NET Should have** 58% Strongly should have 43% Somewhat should have 15% **NET Should NOT have** 38% Somewhat should not have 9% Strongly should not have 29% No opinion 4% ``` Two things: 1. This post may be illegible if you are using Sultantheme. Switch to Straightdope v3.7.3 at the bottom of the page if the poll results are all on one line. 2. I love that WaPo/Schar have their crosstabs available in a Google sheet. This should be standard. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2119 "2019-10-08T12:51:35Z")
Anyone know the ostensible reason for the WH refusing to allow Sondland to testify? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2019, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/2120 "2019-10-08T13:01:44Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Anyone know the ostensible reason for the WH refusing to allow Sondland to testify? The perfect phone call speaks for itself? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=105) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=107)