The media will fan the scant, feeble sparks of impeachment into tiny flames.
A few conservative members of Congress will surprise everyone by signing on. Democrats will be emboldened and start shouting about impeachment.
All the evidence of Bush's malfeasance that we've known about all along will finally be digested for the public at large by the mainstream media and will become water-cooler discussion fodder.
(cont'd)
Larger numbers of Republicans in Congress will begin reluctantly to acknowledge Bush's misdeeds, all while professing his good intentions. Bush is a bad president but a good man, they'll say. Democrats will sound shrill by comparison.
Bush's political support will evaporate. Republicans will score integrity points for supporting the distasteful but necessary impeachment process, for the good of the country. They will attack Democrats for being overeager and bloodthirsty.
Public sympathy will be with the Republicans -- and, to an extent, with Bush, whose story becomes an intoxicatingly tragic romance. The GOP's margin in Congress will increase. The Democrats are the bad guys, the Jews at the crucifixion.
Amid Christ-like imagery, Bush resigns. A few members of his administration are collateral damage. Cheney becomes president. His first act as chief executive is to pardon Bush. As president, he enjoys a larger Republican majority in Congress and on the Supreme Court than Bush did. He serves for the following 2? 6? 10??? years.
All exactly as Karl Rove planned.