The Impeachment Campaign, Part 2

[phantom power]

(...)

So here's the Rude Pundit's reckless, unresearched, completely biased, crazy-ass, but, holy shit, strangely logical proposition: Democrats need to embrace the politics of impeachment and make it a centerpiece of their national Congressional campaign. It's so simple: "If you don't want George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to be our leaders anymore, vote for Democrats."

Goddamn, isn't that breathtakingly direct? It makes Republicans have to either run scared or respond with something along the lines of "I don't want them impeached because I believe in the jobs that Bush and Cheney are doing," which, you know, almost two-thirds of the nation doesn't believe. Hell, at this point, more people disapprove of Bush and his administration than oppose gay marriage.

The Republican National Committee is scared shitless of this tactic, as indicated by Karl Rove's attention to it, as well as by the RNC's "hominah, hominah" responses to Pelosi and Dean. So what the right is trying to do is make "impeachment" into a bad word, as if somehow bad things might happen to the nation if Bush impeached, like, say, we'd be dragged into a war of choice based on lies or dead black people would float through the streets of our major cities.

(...)

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2006/05/impeachment-campaign-part-2.html

[Vincardog]

1. You do not mean to say that saying "Vote for me and I will end the crimes

and corruption of the Bush Crime Family" is a good tactic? Won't that energize his Base?

[bemildred]

2. I think the idea is that it will energize our base.

Which is twice as big as his base.

[Vincardog]

4. OK but does this platform make my BASE look fat?

:spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl: :spray: :rofl:

[hootinholler]

14. No. The *platform* doesn't make your base look fat...

Doesn't matter what platform you cover it with.

:evilgrin:

-Hoot

[European Socialist]

3. Great idea--but if it involves spine--don't expect too much from Democrats

[Jack Rabbit]

5. RP is right about at least one thing

Investigations will lead to impeachments. Note the plural.

He is probably also right that the mood of the country is opposed to the regime.

Investigations will probably be the shorthand term the Democrats will use. It is more cautious than impeachment, but I'd love to hear the Republicans jump to the conclusion that it means the same thing. Can you imagine the campaign dialog?

Democrat: Vote for us and we will look into whether or not the intelligence about Iraq was manipulated prior to the war and just what the NSA was up to when wiretapping American citizens without a warrant.

Republican: Yeah, right. We're at war and you want to attack the Commander in Chief. We all know what you want with investigations. Your investigations will lead to impeachment.

Democrat: Now, why would you say that? Do you know something about these matters that I don't?

Republican: Uh, uh . . . Ken, Karl . . . quick . . . What's the talking point here? What do I say?

Actually, Karl will probably have other priorities by then; Ken will probably come up with talking points that are really lame, like all his other talking points.

At least for now, talk of investigations would be better than outright talk of impeachment. If you want a sex analogy, just keep the tension up and make it last. In the end, the rewards will be much greater.

[phantom power]

6. That's how they should pay it, but will they...?

[Jack Rabbit]

7. That was how Ms. Pelosi put it on Meet the Press this weekend

She was coy about impeachment, but promised investigations.

Why is it that the junta's detractors and supporters alike think that one leads to the other?

[phantom power]

8. "That, detective, is the *right* question!" :-)

[genieroze]

9. Dems need to stop being coy.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Elaborate, please

The election is still almost six months away.


My thesis: It would be better to just talk about investigations and let the Republicans say that they oppose investigations because they would inevitably lead to impeachment. Of course, it would only lead to impeachment if there is considerable evidence of wrong doing. I believe you and I are both certain that such evidence would be no trouble to find. Therefore, if the Republicans are drawing a conclusion that investigations will lead to impeachment, it must be because they are certain of it, too.

What are your ideas?

[genieroze]

11. I do think the impeachment thing might fire up the RW nut base, so I do

agree with her on that but people like her who are respected need to get our message out that we will change the direction this country is taking. We are still being thought of as republican lights. I know it's hard when the MSM is against us. We have to gain control before these nuts cause any more damage. If we can assure fair elections I know we can beat the pants off these thugs. I'm hoping for a huge turn out on election day so it will be harder to rig. We need to fire up people who don't vote and we need leaders who can do this.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Thank you for your response

The overall strategy is malleable, but I still think the best thing to start with is calls for investigations.

Between now and November, more facts may come out that would be reason to call for impeachment outright. However, please remember that it will require a two-thirds vote of the Senate to remove Bush or Cheney from office. The case against them will have to be strong enough to convince a few Republicans (perhaps as many as seventeen) to go along. I don't see that happening without congressional investigations as a premiminary to impeachment; there will be no congressional investigations without the Democrats taking control of at least the House first.

[tavalon]

16. In about 4 months,

They need to stop being coy and get mean, and I guess I should say, MEAN! It's a little early. Let's use some finesse right now and then when the short attention span voter is beginning to think about this voting thing, let's hit them hard and constant. I know that you and I and a couple of million other folks are already thinking about the midterms but an awful lot of voters don't even know the term midterm, much less why they should care just yet and they're too busy trying to keep their heads above water to keep their heads wrapped around this one for 6 months. Coy stirs the pot, MEAN makes it boil when it needs to thicken and gel.

IMO and all that.

[tavalon]

15. Seeing as how you're semi-retired and a writer to boot

any chance of getting on board with the DCCC steering committee. You so get it.

[BigBearJohn]

13. Why not impeach him while we're at war? How much worse could it get?