(Note: Maher said this on Chris Cuomo’s show yesterday. Update: The diary is dead now but to be clear… Maher said the notion in the title. Everything below is what I say in response… heh sorry for any confusion.)
Here’s the thing I would like to say in the most fact-of-the-matter way possible. The Republicans ARE going to try to impeach the next democratic president. It’s already been brought up as far as they are concerned, they’re already in “oh well we’ll investigate you then!”. Something they already were always already doing. Their organizations are sending out mailers saying that the Dems already ARE impeaching.
If you haven’t noticed, they’ve already been attacking democrats and liberals as if they were bent on revenge for whatever imagined crime is rattling around in their heads for solid decades. That’s not going to change, and it’s not reality based, it’s not because “what did we do to them?” What did I ever do to you, Republicans, to be treated this way. It’s not what we did, it’s what we didn’t do. A bully is not bullying you for what you “did”.
They will be coming for the next president full steam, count on it (or just remember). At this point you can rest assured that will be trying to turn their next Benghazi-dreams into impeachment. Maybe even literally Benghazi. Because… they’ve always been doing that for at least for 50 years. It’s surprising really that they didn’t do it with Obama, given their general scorched earth approach. Putting off Garland is more odd and out of line even than impeachment, if you ask me, and a perfectly good example.
So you have your reasons for your strategy whatever it is… but please don’t let it be hope that they will have mercy or act more sane if not impeached, if treated “fairly”. You have to remember the bully mindset… it’s not a mindset that strikes back, it likes to strike first, to be the only one striking. The bully only says “you know, we should all just calm down” after their nose is bloodied. If they are so strong you can’t hope to land even one good punch, it might be best not to fight and give in to your new overlord. But they are absolutely NOT that strong. Not even a bit. Don’t go after their reputation. Go after their freedom.
They will be impeaching! Or trying. Just assume that, because the only way they won’t is if we get the upper hand and they’re afraid. It will have nothing to do with right and wrong, nothing to do with treating them fairly or not. Don’t do anything based on what you think they’ll do as a result! They’re going to act crazy, rest assured, just to keep you in that “don’t make dad upset” frame of mind.
Maybe we should finally get mad about Iran Contra… you know, treason? ... even if they won’t like it and we know they won’t like it. You know, maybe we should start doing some things exactly and only because they won’t like it.