If this was such a slam dunk why would they have to be careful about it? They would just lay out the facts, right? No hyperbole, no soft-shoe
Back Home, House Democrats Tread Carefully on Impeachment and 2020
Orange County was the epicenter of the 2018 House Democratic takeover, where Republicans lost four seats in what was once the heart of Ronald Reagan conservatism in California. On Saturday night, as three of the victorious Democrats were honored at an annual political dinner, a new battle was on everyone’s minds: How to protect those gains in 2020 by selling voters on the impeachment inquiry of President Trump.
At the dinner, Representative Harley Rouda warned Democrats not to “sit on our laurels.†Representative Mike Levin solemnly said “the times have found us.†And Representative Gil Cisneros, who came out for the inquiry only last week, plugged his campaign website twice to ask for donations and noted, “The Republicans are coming after me now.â€
A tricky balancing act is now underway for House Democrats as they return to their districts for a two-week recess that will double as a crucial time to frame a coast-to-coast debate over impeachment and the nation’s priorities.
Even as surveys showed more Americans embracing an impeachment investigation, voters talked mostly about issues like health care and the economy over the weekend at town hall meetings and party gatherings with House Democrats. Those members, especially in battleground districts, responded by highlighting their policy accomplishments and goals — while at the same time attempting to shape public opinion on impeachment and prepare voters for coming G.O.P. attacks.
hat Democratic messaging challenge came into sharp relief during interviews with voters like Donna Artukovic, a retired teacher who was volunteering at the Orange County dinner. Ms. Artukovic expressed nervousness about what an impeachment battle could mean for Democratic candidates.
“I am afraid it’s going to hurt them,†she said. “A lot of people — even who don’t like Trump — don’t like impeachment.â€
Why do they have to be so careful? Because they know it’s only really popular among their unhinged base. They know that the more they talk about it, the more people will want information on Joe Biden and his son’s activities. They’ll want to know what Adam Schiff, tasked by Pelosi with leading the impeachment inquiry, and other Democrats were doing contacting Ukraine to get dirt on Trump. They’ll get a good look at how unhinged Schiff is, and see that this is about hatred. They’ll wonder why Democrats don’t just try to beat him at the ballot box.
The first independent polling since Democrats began the inquiry carries reassuring news for them — as well as some cautionary signs. A CBS News survey released Sunday indicated that 55 percent of Americans support an impeachment investigation, with Democrats now overwhelmingly supportive and independents about evenly divided. But only 42 percent of those surveyed said Mr. Trump deserved to be impeached, with 22 percent saying it was too soon to determine. This uncertainty is why House Democratic leaders are at pains to emphasize that they are not yet seeking to impeach Mr. Trump, but rather that they want to conduct a thorough investigation into his actions with the Ukranians.
And that’s also why they have to be careful, because Americans have seen this show before: Russia Russia Russia didn’t turn out particularly well for Democrats. This all just makes Democrats look like petulant children upset that they lost an election and are unable to accept the outcome. And with Trump, he’s more than happy to let everyone know that the Democrats are crazy. He doesn’t play nice like previous Republicans. Yes, yes, he may go overboard at times, but, think that doesn’t get people to pay attention to his points? And get people the average person to see his points?
Democrats should also remember that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If they want to set the condition which political disagreements are grounds for impeachment inquiries, Republicans can do the same against a Democrat president.
