The Impeachment of President Donald J Trump

[HisMajestyBOB]

Alternatively, start an insurrection. There's precedent for that now.

Precedent for it not working...

If you succeed, great! If you don't, ah well, it's all water under the bridge now.

[Eddie Teach]

Viking man will be glad to hear that. 

[Valmy]

Alternatively, start an insurrection. There's precedent for that now.

Precedent for it not working...

If you succeed, great! If you don't, ah well, it's all water under the bridge now.

We'll see what that ends up costing the Republicans. They did very well in the 2020 election despite Biden winning. They were posed for a big comeback, now that seems less sure.

[Solmyr]

Mitch: Donald Trump is directly responsible for inciting insurrection against Congress and a reprehensible human being.

Mitch: Also I voted to acquit.

My guess is he let his caucus speak their minds, realized there weren't enough votes to convict, and went with his party. Allowed the 7 Republicans to vote their conscience. Also they probably got a lot of death threats from the crazies.

McConnell wants to preserve the GOP unity.  By avoiding the very public debate/conviction, avoiding to have Republicans on the stand admitting in front of the cameras what Trump was really guilty of, they are free to continue ignoring him, or for many, defending him, saying it was an antifa coup.  Whatever works for the GOP. 

But having him tried in a court of law, he may well be judged inadmissible to hold a political rank after that, so that suits Mitch and his vision of the GOP on both counts.

I think it's a mistake, because Trumpism won't dissapear with Trump, unlike what McConnell seems to think.

Also, McConnell doesn't seem to realize that there's no way to preserve GOP unity anymore because there isn't any. Not unless everyone bows down and lick Trump's boots, and even then there will be purges.

[The Minsky Moment]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umsAhEFHFKA

This is something I was unaware of.  It's not a good look for the Democrats.

It's not really comparable.  House members raised objections in the joint session.  That is far from unknown.  What is rare is for a Senator to join an objection and force a vote. What is unheard of is for multiple Senators to join multiple objections because the defeated candidate ordered them to delay the proceedings.  In contrast, in 2000, Al Gore (as VP) overruled House objections to certifying Florida for Bush (and against him), just as Biden was shown doing in the video. 

[Admiral Yi]

It's not really comparable.  House members raised objections in the joint session.  That is far from unknown.  What is rare is for a Senator to join an objection and force a vote. What is unheard of is for multiple Senators to join multiple objections because the defeated candidate ordered them to delay the proceedings.  In contrast, in 2000, Al Gore (as VP) overruled House objections to certifying Florida for Bush (and against him), just as Biden was shown doing in the video.

This is an important distinction, but one that I did not pick up from the commentariat during the certification.  I feel a little blindsided.  A little betrayed.