Impeachment

[irhack]

I am SHOCKED, just SHOCKED, that Trump has been impeached. Everything has a feeling of inevitability, and meaninglessness. Of course he was going to be impeached; of course he'll be acquitted in the Senate; nobody on either side will have changed their mind about anything.

Yep.  His approval rating has gone from 43% in the summer to 43% now, per CNN polling.  All of this new information hasn't moved the needle one bit in terms of his core support.  And when the Senate fails to convict, they'll claim that he was exonerated.

In addition, the one thing missing from his narrative has been victimization (it's hard to claim to be a victim and a billionaire genius deity at the same time). Now he has the victim role as well. So whereas his base used to say, "he's the only one who tells the truth" they can now proudly say, "he's the only one who tells the truth AND he's gotten crucified for it". Literally. Crucified. Some politician has already said it. [sorry, no citation]

My elderly mother used the crucifixion analogy too. I was utterly horrified.

[mahagonny]

Shared psychosis of Donald Trump and people in his environment.

https://in.news.yahoo.com/im-forensic-psychiatrist-yale-took-204607013.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb

[nebo113]

This trial will be a mess.

[writingprof]

This trial will be a mess.

Happily, very few Americans are paying attention.

[mamselle]

This trial will be a mess.

Happily, very few Americans are paying attention.

Really?

OK.

M.

[writingprof]

This trial will be a mess.

Happily, very few Americans are paying attention.

Really?

OK.

M.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my sense is that the hearing we already sat through (or were there two?--one forgets so quickly) was the Left's chance to captivate the nation, and they mostly blew it.  Obviously Trump's not going to be removed from office, but I suspect his numbers won't even budge at this point.

How else might we settle the matter?  Track C-SPAN ratings? 

[mahagonny]

This trial will be a mess.

Happily, very few Americans are paying attention.

Really?

OK.

M.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my sense is that the hearing we already sat through (or were there two?--one forgets so quickly) was the Left's chance to captivate the nation, and they mostly blew it.  Obviously Trump's not going to be removed from office, but I suspect his numbers won't even budge at this point.

How else might we settle the matter?  Track C-SPAN ratings?

What could they have done differently that would have captivated you, writingprof?

[Parasaurolophus]

So Dershowitz and Starr will be on his legal team, eh?

[writingprof]

This trial will be a mess.

Happily, very few Americans are paying attention.

Really?

OK.

M.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my sense is that the hearing we already sat through (or were there two?--one forgets so quickly) was the Left's chance to captivate the nation, and they mostly blew it.  Obviously Trump's not going to be removed from office, but I suspect his numbers won't even budge at this point.

How else might we settle the matter?  Track C-SPAN ratings?

What could they have done differently that would have captivated you, writingprof?

I assure you, I am not representative of the nation.  You may be relieved to know this. 

[Ruralguy]

I guess neither Starr nor Dershowitz are sufficiently relevant any longer and are happy to rob a criminal president of his "hard earned" dollars in order to regain some sort of "reputation" by "defending" him.

[mahagonny]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my sense is that the hearing we already sat through (or were there two?--one forgets so quickly) was the Left's chance to captivate the nation, and they mostly blew it.  Obviously Trump's not going to be removed from office, but I suspect his numbers won't even budge at this point.

How else might we settle the matter?  Track C-SPAN ratings?

What could they have done differently that would have captivated you, writingprof?
[/quote]

I assure you, I am not representative of the nation.  You may be relieved to know this.
[/quote]

What I'm getting at. There's nothing that could have been done differently that could have captivated the nation. We already knew how the House would vote, and we already know how the senate will vote, and each of us already *knows* whether or not he should be removed. Like Nancy said 'almost not worth it.' I don't anyone is representative of the nation at this time.

[ciao_yall]

I guess neither Starr nor Dershowitz are sufficiently relevant any longer and are happy to rob a criminal president of his "hard earned" dollars in order to regain some sort of "reputation" by "defending" him.

Assuming he doesn't stiff them like he has done everyone else...

[Ruralguy]

Although they might be charging by normal fee structure, my guess is they are both intelligent enough (maybe not?) to effectively consider this to be pro bono (with "bono" very loosely defined).

[Descartes]

I have no idea what most of the nation thinks, but I'm almost positive they are not following the latest developments and I think many don't care.  I've always learned to never underestimate the collective, aggregate stupidity of the nation.  Many people seem more able to tell you the latest developments in the lives of the Kardashians than those in contemporary politics.  (c.f. Jay Leno's old "Jaywalking" segments)

[spork]

How many cats that were obviously in the bag to begin with have to leave the bag, meow loudly, scratch up the corners of the living room couch, and cough up hairballs on the kitchen floor for GOP member of Congress to acknowledge that there were, in fact, cats in the bag?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/us/politics/trump-bolton-book-ukraine.html