The Trump Impeachment Inquiry

[JohnT]

There’s also the geography issue. We don’t need more Democrats in San Antonio, or RGV, we need them in Alice and Gonzalez and Del Rio and…

[scr4]

@JohnT

There’s also the geography issue. We don’t need more Democrats in San Antonio, or RGV, we need them in Alice and Gonzalez and Del Rio and…

That wouldn’t matter for Presidential elections though. Or the Senate.

[Superdude]

This issue caused me to do something I’ve never done before. I emailed my senator to tell him that I was disappointed by his hypocrisy and lack of ethics, and that I was going to be casting a vote for his opponent this election.

I don’t expect to even hear back from him.

It’s Mitch McConnell.

[DSeid]

The calculation with Texas is that a 2020 election that has the D presidential nominee winning Texas in the general is most certainly not going to be an election in which the D presidential nominee needed to win it to win the election, and resources spent there were an opportunity cost of spending those resources in states that could be tipping point states. … but fighting for Texas helps down-ticket races, from Senator (long shot) to the most local of positions … and it builds for the future, a not too distant future in which Texas is more likely competitive if only by virtue of demographics (if people get off their asses and vote) … AND a win there, longshot as it might be, would send the resounding rejection and repudiation of Trumpism that this country needs as part of its path to healing.

Not sure how those factors balance out but some fight for Texas voters and build of infrastructure and bench is wise at least.

The state party is ambitious at least.

The plan broadly seeks to register as many as possible of the 2.6 million Texans it says are not registered to vote but would vote Democratic if registered. There are another 2.4 million voters from minority communities who are registered to vote but did not cast a ballot in 2018 and “are primed to be mobilized in a presidential year,” according to the plan.

To close those gaps, the party offers four possible paths based on its data analysis: increasing turnout in communities of color (over 400,000 new votes), increasing turnout in urban, reliably blue counties (at least 225,000 new votes), registering voters in the politically changing suburbs (over 130,000 new votes) and reaching out to conservative rural voters (more than 100,000 new votes).

The party plans to tackle those opportunities by doing things like sending more vote-by-mail applications in 2020 than ever before — more than 1.5 million. But most important will be a statewide coordinated campaign that can support over 1,500 Democratic nominees throughout the ballot in 2020, by the party’s count. Key to that campaign would be the 1,000 organizers, a big ramp-up from the party’s current staffing levels.

This being the impeachment thread it should be noted that a plurality of Texans, yeah of Texans believe that the impeachment investigation is justified.They are split on removal.

The poll, which was conducted Oct. 18-27, asked 1,200 Texas registered voters whether “Congress is justified in conducting impeachment investigations into actions Trump has taken while president. In response, 46% of Texas voters said the investigation is justified, and 42% said that it is not. … Overall, Texas voters are split on whether they think Trump has taken actions during his presidency that would justify his removal from office — 43% believe that he has, while 44 percent believe he has not. In considering Trump’s response to the impeachment investigations, 39% approve and 45% do not. … When considering whether they approve of how members of Congress are handling the investigations, 49% of Texas voters disapprove of Republican efforts, 25% approve. For Democratic efforts, 45% of Texas voters disapprove of the efforts of congressional Democrats, while 40% approve. …

That last part is important too. Approval of Republican actions in Congress on impeachment is 24 points underwater in friggin Texas! Democratic actions aren’t in above water mind you but relatively only 5 points under.

[Chisquirrel]

@johnt

trumps approval rating drops to 74% among republicans

that 64% of 29%? That’s the base. 61 million americans (all ages). The non-base? 268,000,000 americans.

Can we… At least mentally… Stop allowing 61 to dictate to 268 what sort of world we should live in? Can we stop giving the 64% of 29% equal weight of representation over the 100% of 71%?

But TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY!

[JohnT]

Here’s video of Parnas at a 2018 Trump rally, where Trump sees him and waves back to Parnas.

[scr4]

@Skypist

I guess I just don’t see why that population is expected to change Texas to blue if it hasn’t already.

White people still outnumber Hispanics in Texas. And while elections have not flipped yet, Trump won Texas by a smaller margin (9%) than Romney (15%) or McCain (11%).

[JohnT]

Guys and gals, I didn’t bring up Texas to say that the State is going to vote Democratic in 2020, I brought it up to note that in a state which is viewed as ultra-conservative, Donald Trump’s support is exceedingly rocky and has been getting worse since he openly betrayed America on July 25th.

[kaylasdad99]

@bobot

It’s a shame that the call wasn’t simply recorded.

It probably was (although likely not in DC). If so, our best shot at ever having it see the light of day would be if Vlad starts to see the America-hating fuckstick as more of a liability to the Putin regime’s interests than an asset.

[CarnalK]

@kaylasdad99

It probably was (although likely not in DC). If so, our best shot at ever having it see the light of day would be if Vlad starts to see the America-hating fuckstick as more of a liability to the Putin regime’s interests than an asset.

Why would Russia have a recording? The Ukrainians would have a copy, of course.

[kaylasdad99]

Pretty sure Vlad still has resources to get his mitts on a copy, with or without Zelenskyy’s cooperation/knowledge…

[BeepKillBeep]

Another LegalEagle analysis of the Trump impeachment inquiry focusing on quid pro quo. I really enjoy the way he explains things for us non-lawyerly types. It is definitely worth watching regardless of whether you’re pro-Trump or anti-Trump.

Quid Pro Quo? Taylor and Vindman testify (Real Law Review)

[DSeid]

@JohnT

Guys and gals, I didn’t bring up Texas to say that the State is going to vote Democratic in 2020, I brought it up to note that in a state which is viewed as ultra-conservative, Donald Trump’s support is exceedingly rocky and has been getting worse since he openly betrayed America on July 25th.

Sorry that I missed that you had posted the same poll I did and that that was what started this part of the conversation. D’oh.

Your point is of course valid.

And I would go farther than you based on the how much underwater GOP congresscritters are there on their handling of impeachment. Trump support being rocky may not lose him the state, but it could still have substantial impact on many other races.

Those downticket races, inclusive of the most local ones, are the foundation of the state being purple in 2024.

Trump won 2016 by 9 points, yes. And the 2018 popular vote margin for the House in Texas was only 3.4.

Granted wave election and all, strong partisan lean relative to the national House popular vote … but considering that solid red is not justified.

[enipla]

@CarnalK

Why would Russia have a recording? The Ukrainians would have a copy, of course.

I thought the copy to the phone conversation was what was put on the SSS (Super Secret Server).

Or have I been whooossed?

[FlikTheBlue]

@Skypist

No, of course they don’t. Some will vote conservative or not vote or whatever. But Where I’m originally from in the valley, Hispanics are a majority minority and most are of Mexican descent. I guess I just don’t see why that population is expected to change Texas to blue if it hasn’t already.

Conservatism / liberalism as a viewpoint doesn’t discriminate based on race. What happens is that 3rd and later generation Hispanics who are naturally conservative begin to see themselves as white and vote accordingly.

[CarnalK]

@enipla

I thought the copy to the phone conversation was what was put on the SSS (Super Secret Server).

Or have I been whooossed?

I don’t know if what was stored was a recording or a complete transcript. I’d be rather surprised if there wasn’t still an actual recording.

[jsc1953]

@CarnalK

I don’t know if what was stored was a recording or a complete transcript. I’d be rather surprised if there wasn’t still an actual recording.

I heard this week (sorry, no cite) that the White House doesn’t record conversations (and it sounded like this was long-standing policy, not a Trump thing) – they just have note takers listen in and transcribe what they’ve heard.

So the unedited version of the note-takers notes were locked in the vault; the edited version was released.

[enipla]

@jsc1953

I heard this week (sorry, no cite) that the White House doesn’t record conversations (and it sounded like this was long-standing policy, not a Trump thing) – they just have note takers listen in and transcribe what they’ve heard.

So the unedited version of the note-takers notes were locked in the vault; the edited version was released.

Thanks. I figured they at least had the full transcript. Also thought maybe a recording too.

[Running_with_Scissors]

@jsc1953

I heard this week (sorry, no cite) that the White House doesn’t record conversations (and it sounded like this was long-standing policy, not a Trump thing)

I wonder if this policy started around 1973?

[Broomstick]

It certainly wasn’t the policy before 1973. Except for about 20 minutes…