Cognitive dissonance/cognitive dissidence

[Atticus]

I understand the pragmatic reasoning behind not running on the "impeachment issue". The GOP would ladle the issue out to their base base (not a typo) as "spiteful libtards trying to overturn a totally legitimate election." But, aren't they already doing that anyway?

What bothers me is this: Are there really many in America who don't know that, just on what we know now, Trump deserves impeachment on multiple grounds; some actual crimes and some "mere" violations of the Constitution? Can any reasonable person STILL maintain that he has "done nothing wrong"?

Are we "looking the other way" because it is politically expedient? If we are, is there truly a "greater good" that we are achieving? And how is it being viewed by the majority of "marginally interested" voters?

My gut says "Impeach the sonofabitch". Should my mind overrule it?

[TygrBright]

1. Neither your gut nor your mind gets a say, actually.

The Constitution is the only legitimate source of authority in this matter, and the adjudicated precedents that have resulted from past actions and efforts are the substantive guidance to what is and is not legally feasible.

Study analysis based in Constitutional law, and authoritative experience of Constitutional remedies for supreme executive malfeasance.

Impeachment will not happen.

What we have is a 2.5-year window to accumulate legislative power, remedy vote suppression and gerrymandering, push for a properly executed census count, develop quality candidates and messaging, and KICK THEIR ASSES TO THE CURB IN 2020.

In the mean time, yes, they will do damage. People will get hurt, people will die, irreparable harm will be done to the environment, freedoms will be lost.

Elections do, indeed, have consequences.

So does decades of greed, complaisance, and incompetence in public office holders of all partisan affiliations, and public ignorance and laziness.

wearily,
Bright

[Atticus]

3. Uh, yeah---well, I am more than a little familiar with Constitutional law. I am also

familiar with the Articles of Impeachment drafted against Nixon and the Clinton impeachment. These indicate to me that "high crimes and misdemeanors" are what the Congress says they are.

Is there ANY doubt that ANY Democrat would have been impeached months ago?

You are essentially saying that, having allowed Russia and a party of thugs to install a vulgar racist maniac in the White House, we just have to live with it in hopes that we'll still have a recognizable country left to reclaim and rebuild in 2020. I'm aware that conventional wisdom is on your side, but we are not confronting a conventional adversary. Things are the way they are---until they aren't.

[brush]

2. It's a tough question to grapple with. Will that bring more deplorables to the polls or more Dems?

Should we wait until after Nov. or go with it now?

Of course the dumb, stupid, racist, cheating, treacherous fuck should be impeached but we have to play our cards right.

[rsdsharp]

4. Has he committed impeachable offenses? Absolutely.

Will he be impeached? Maybe, if we take back the House this year.

Will he be convicted? No, and this is really the only question that matters. We won't have 67 votes in the Senate no matter what he does, until possibly after the 2020 election. If that happens -- if we take the Senate decisively enough to have sufficient numbers to convict -- there would likely be no point in impeaching as Trump would have lost his bid for reelection. He would have 17 days left in office after the new Congress is sworn in.

Impeaching the bastard without convicting him, will only strengthen and embolden him.

[PDittie]

5. Agree. Well said.