I understand your point and it is a question of values.
You talk about Clinton/Lewinsky. Yes, bring up Clinton and many people think about Lewinsky. Very few approved of what Clinton did with Lewinsky but even fewer approved of his impeachment.
You believe it is important to make a statement of disapproval. OK, but what does that accomplish besides making you feel good?
OTOH, this statement of disapproval, the impeachment of the First Black President, has some very significant associated costs. Among other things, it will be viewed as racist by a very significant portion of the electorate and will be baggage that the GOP will have to carry for many years.
Furthermore, it would be a distraction from other important matters such as the debt, terrorism, national security, jobs, etc,. I believe the American people did not elect republicans to go on, what they would perceive as, a witch hunt on impeachment. The GOP needs to focus on the other matters, like the economy and jobs, that they were voted into office to fix.
DugwayDuke wrote:
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You believe it is important to make a statement of disapproval. OK, but what does that accomplish besides making you feel good?
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I see it as a statement that we as a nation should not allow the President of the United States to get away with flagrantly breaking the law and violating the U.S. Constitution. Otherwise, it sets a horrible precedent, one in which future Democrat presidents will undoubtedly feel emboldened to continue engaging in unconstitutional power grabs and turning the executive branch into a dictatorship.
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OTOH, this statement of disapproval, the impeachment of the First Black President, has some very significant associated costs. Among other things, it will be viewed as racist by a very significant portion of the electorate and will be baggage that the GOP will have to carry for many years.
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Of course, the Dems know that as long as they can keep sending non-white males into the Oval Office, then the GOP will remain too frightened to hold any of them accountable for violating the Constitution, whether we’re talking the first black president... first female president... first Hispanic president... first openly gay president, etc.
By the way, do we have any hard data that Obama would suddenly see a massive surge in popularity if the GOP were to try to impeach him? Over the past six years, this man is mired in so many aggregious scandals (Benghazi, Obamacare lies, IRS targeting, the VA, NSA snooping, Fast and Furious, Solyndra, etc. etc.) and has literally done so much to make so many people hate his guts that I’m not sure I buy into that assumption.
Now let me just say for the record, I do not think impeachment should be the GOP’s first option. I am much more in favor of Congress exercising its Power of the Purse by passing individual spending bills that cover the federal government’s mandatory budget expenditures and ultimately excludes funding for Obamacare or amnesty. If this leads to a huge fight and a partial government shutdown that indefinitely halts non-essential federal services, then that’s fine by me. I can tell you my life will certainly not suffer over a federal government suddenly forced to reduce itself by 17%!
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Furthermore, it would be a distraction from other important matters such as the debt, terrorism, national security, jobs, etc,. I believe the American people did not elect republicans to go on, what they would perceive as, a witch hunt on impeachment. The GOP needs to focus on the other matters, like the economy and jobs, that they were voted into office to fix.
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No question, these issues all need to be addressed and fixed. But do you really believe the GOP will be able to successfully tackle any of this as long as Obama is in office??