As we prep for the Thanksgiving holiday and all of the uncomfortable conversations we’re bound to have with our extended family members; Impeachment looms large like a storm over the United States.
As you engage with the resident deplorable of your family, one thing to keep in mind is that there is no actual defence of Trump's actions. There is no counter-narrative. No counter-argument. Nobody is arguing that the President didn’t do what he is being impeached for. They instead try to bend and twist reality in order to convince themselves that what he did somehow wasn’t inappropriate, let alone illegal. And that we for some reason shouldn’t have such a high standard of ethics for our President.
As I sat in traffic today on my way home from my local grocery store I started wondering why so many Republicans, especially those in the Senate keep bending over backwards to protect Trump. Why they’re willing to fall on their sword for this guy, who causes more trouble than he could ever possibly be worth?
Why doesn’t the GOP dump Trump?
Think about it from a GOP strategist’s point of view. The House impeaches Trump and the Senate convicts. What’s the downside for the GOP? Trump is no longer President, sure but is that really a loss? Trump is an unpredictable chaos machine that has been surrounded by scandal since day one, cost them the House, risks losing them the Senate/White House next year and forces the GOP to constantly be on the defensive, constantly having to respond to whatever racist, sexist, idiotic thing he has put out on twitter.
Impeaching Trump gives them President Mike Pence. President Mike Pence may seem like a boring prospect for 2020, but he will be even more reliable when it comes to the few things the GOP has actually gotten out of President Trump. Namely, making Supreme Court Appointments and cutting Taxes. The GOP could depend on Pence to deliver those same results but without the constant scandal machine. Without risking international alliances. Without all the scandal and distraction.
Mike Pence would also get to pick his new Vice President which could be an opportunity to excite the base, or perhaps more appealing to the GOP strategists, could be an opportunity to pick someone who would appease the centrist/swing voters of the country by selecting a safe, experienced and mature candidate.
Impeaching Trump also eliminates the sense of urgency surrounding the 2020 election thus greatly reducing the prospects of another Blue Wave. Without the existential threat of Trump you would likely see a decrease in voter enthusiasm on the left. Meanwhile, the entire 2020 election could be reframed for GOP voters as vengeance for Trump and his impeachment. Igniting a flame under the base who are mostly voting for Trump out of spite at this point.
Plus dumping Trump would allow GOP Senators/Congresspeople to stand up for the constitution, the rule of law, the balance of powers and be on the right side of history. The only possible downside is that voters in their state/district might vote them out in the immediate future. But a secret impeachment ballot would sidestep that problem. Again, what is the point of defending this guy?
So when you’re arguing with your MAGA-Infested family members over Thanksgiving dinner, ask them point-blank. Why doesn’t the GOP Dump Trump? What do they have to lose other than a bunch of dead weight?