(12-13-2019, 09:15 AM)Last42min Wrote: I've explained this before. Everyone talks about this like there is some list of high crimes and misdemeanors. There's not. This is a controversy that literally goes back to the founders, but there is nothing legally defined that says there must be a crime associated with impeachment. Impeachment is a political process, and congress can impeach for any action they deem unfit. Judges have been impeached for things like intoxication on the bench, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, etc. The democrats could literally impeach Trump for being crude or lying about the size of his hands... literally anything they think misrepresents the office of the Presidency.

What DOES matter, is whether or not the American people would tolerate that. Which, I personally believe is a resounding NO. Impeachments, even historical ones, have been largely motivated by political purposes, and have almost always backfired. I believe the same will hold true here. There is nothing like failure to cause a political group to reevaluate their priorities. Although, I will concede that the current Democrats are showing a remarkable resistance to common sense. The sooner they stop appealing to their radical base, the sooner they will wise up (on a side note, their reluctance to move away from the radical base is a strong indicator that their donors have become more radical, which is a real problem, imo).

---

I will also add, before someone mentions it, that historical precedent would suggest that only impeachments with a crime have been successful. Most impeachments attacking one's character have ended up in acquittal.