The Trump Impeachment Inquiry

Politics & Elections
4961

The polls from the last series of debates tell a different story.

Every time there was a debate between Clinton and Trump, the national polls swung from near 50/50 to something more like 80/20.

And then, two weeks later, they start moving back towards 50/50.

There’s another debate, the polls swing to 80/20, and two weeks later, they start going back the other direction.

When people watch Trump, nearly everyone realizes that he’s stupid. And then either they forget or their friends, the media on the right, and/or their need to support the home team takes over and they force the information out of their heads.

Everyone knew that Trump was an idiot. They saw it with their own eyes and believed that it was true. When they saw it again, they realized that their first instinct had indeed been absolutely correct. And when they saw it AGAIN, they realized AGAIN, that their first read and second read were both correct and that Trump was an idiot.

My dad watched the debates - I didn’t - and would meet me for breakfast the next day in a panic that the country might really vote for that idiot and he couldn’t believe that somehow someone so stupid had actually make it to the last leg.

Two weeks later, he was telling me about how great a read The Art of the Deal was and defending Trump’s intelligence even though, at that time, I was still open to the idea that Trump was still playing it up just to rope in the stupidest quadrant of the country and the only reason I had to believe that Trump was stupid was based on my dad’s earlier testimony about what he saw in the debates.

Ultimately, you’re dealing with the human condition.

The Germans knew in their hearts and deeply understood that the Jews were evil and harmful for years and years, and knew that their government was killing them. And then one day, they stopped believing that and believed that they had been shameful and that it was only other people who had spotted the signs of what had happened.

The human capability to make what they need to be true be the truth is incredible and horrifying.

If anyone believes that Trump is smart, they should watch the debates. I’ve never seen them but, apparently, Trump was clearly a moron and probably you already saw that and knew that - and then you voted for him. And now you’re out lying to us, because the alternative is to admit to the shame of what you did and knew you were doing.

(Note: “you” at the end is Trump voters, not steatopygia.)

4962

It’s true that Trump’s an ignorant jackass who will readily resort to shameless, venal, and dishonorable tactics, but his “success” mostly comes from a reptilian-brain facility for scamming. He scams so much that it’s an unthinking reflex–the way a lizard automatically sticks out its tongue to catch flies.

For a scam to work it takes dupes. The dupes of this country–combined with the ethno-nationalists and knee-jerk party-line voters–were just enough to get him elected.

4963

I’ll also note, for the record that Art of the Deal was not written by Trump, nor was his book about his political views. The two men who wrote those books, who spent enough time with Trump to be able to craft the works, have both come out saying that Trump is an idiot.

And likewise, a real life Forest Gump would just be some guy who’s on the edge of needing to be under assistive care, for an inability to fully mentally mature and live as an adult. But, given an authorial treatment, Gump becomes a wandering sage of brilliance.

That’s what we in the business call “fiction”.

4964

To be put in jail, one must be found guilty of some criminal action. It’s silly to act like we can’t punish a criminal because they are prominent politically. Politics shouldn’t factor in, crime is crime.

If the fear political retribution from the other side, I’d remind you this isn’t China or Russia–the US hasn’t much of a reputation for jailing 100% innocent people for political reasons. So I’d hope that if the GOP tries to start jailing Dems for something, the courts would justly adjudicate. As they would with Trump–if he goes to jail it won’t be because of politics. His supporters might say otherwise, but it won’t be true. And if we start letting crimes go unpunished because of fear of what the wrong-headed/wrong-sided perpetrators’ rhetoric, where are we as a country?

4965

Well, the grill marks/burnt outside of a steak has been purportedly linked to cancer, and as someone who is currently dealing with colorectal cancer I really can not wish that on anybody [but a sudden case of baldness and a bad reaction to spray tan is fair game …]

4966

To be put in jail, one must be found guilty of some criminal action. It’s silly to act like we can’t punish a criminal because they are prominent politically. Politics shouldn’t factor in, crime is crime.

If the fear political retribution from the other side, I’d remind you this isn’t China or Russia–the US hasn’t much of a reputation for jailing 100% innocent people for political reasons. So I’d hope that if the GOP tries to start jailing Dems for no reason, the courts would justly adjudicate. As they would with Trump–if he goes to jail it won’t be because of politics. His supporters might say otherwise, but it won’t be true. And if we start letting crimes go unpunished because of fear of partisan rhetoric, where are we as a country? They’ve won at that point.

4967

ETA: Nevermind.

4968

51% say Trump should be impeached AND removed.

70% (!!!) say that Trump’s actions re: Ukraine were wrong.

4969

So in his great unmatched wisdom he decided to extort Ukraine to dig up or make up dirt on Biden so that the easiest candidate to beat would be denied the nomination? Is there an alternate universe where that makes sense?

4970

12th dimensional chess, my droogies.

4971

Exactly! It would not make sense for Trump to knock the easiest candidate to beat out before the Democrat primaries. Therefore, Trump’s mention of Biden in the call was not for his own political gain. It was part of his effort to fight corruption.

4972

Right, because:
[ol][li]The only corruption going on in Ukraine is the already-debunked conspiracy theory regarding Biden. Any other corruption within Ukraine is unimportant[/li][li]The most appropriate way for a president to contend with corruption in another country is to withhold funds that were already approved, and replace an ambassador with one loyal to the president, rather than, say, using his own intelligence services[/li][li]The lack of mention of corruption in the July 25 call was that, uh, he forgot?[/li][li]Similarly, the White House didn’t perform their own corruption review of Ukraine because they were, too busy, I guess?[/li][/ol]

4973

I certainly am glad I went to the bathroom before reading this, else I would have peed all over the place laughing when I read it. Seriously, Dolt45 cares not a whit about Ukraine, he believes all the lies that Putin tells him about Ukraine, and he doesn’t give a flying fuck about corruption anywhere. People who carry the water for despots around the world generally aren’t those who lead fights against corruption.

Looks like a fun week ahead, more open testimony, more ridiculous Republican posturing in order to please their audience of one. Most every day this month has been like Christmas morning with new wonderful surprises.

4974

Or he could just be incompetent.

And how does the idea of Trump fighting corruption have any credence to begin with? It’s like hearing ‘Cattle farmers are against steak dinners’ or ‘Saudi Arabia fights for women’s rights’. It’s obviously nonsense.

4975

And Trump taking to Twitter to talk testifying.

4976

The corruption bit is nonsense for several reasons but 2 pop up right away, remember that silly “defense” about no mentioning of ‘quid pro quo’ in the call? There was actually no mention of fighting corruption in the call.

And then, expecting a corrupt fellow to fight corruption is to expect an arsonist to become a good firefighter.

“You know, we would have to look, but I tell you"…

Trump speak equivalent to his promise to produce his tax returns, fighting corruption was not the reason for his Ukraine affairs.

4977

Don’t forget, what was important to Trump wasn’t corruption, it was the Ukrainian president announcing PUBLICLY investigations into Biden and Burisma. They even suggested he do it on CNN (because, you know, if they announced the investigation on FOX it might look?..biased?)

4978

6% also say Trump should be impeached but not removed.

4979

There must be some number who actually believe that a thorough impeachment investigation will totally exonerate.

4980

There will always be that ~25% who believe he never does anything wrong.