ITFMA - Just. Like. Dat.

ITFMA - Just. Like. Dat.

September 28th, 2019

Ok, so we all know that Trump is a 100% narcissistic sociopath, incapable of playing checkers, much less three-dimensional chess. But let's play this game for a minute.

Trump revels in attention and simply has no morals. He may not want to be impeached and removed from office, but he certainly will enjoy the impeachment process.

Now suppose your approval ratings steadily hover in the low 40s (how can they possibly be even that high?) and a field of highly qualified opponents is gaining, but you still hold the majority in the senate and your party has shown time and again that they have no recollection of the oath they swore and that they will put politics over - literally - people's lives.

What's more: you've already gotten away with so much shit, brought the system to the brink of collapse, with no negative consequences to you. You've tweeted more lies since breakfast than your supreme court asset would ordinarily angrily scream in a drunken stupor. What would be a career-ending scandal for any other politician is your cause célèbre riling up your base.

Now of course you carry on, bolder with every unchallenged step. And so what if you get caught? Worst case scenario: you get impeached, cry victim all the way, energize your nutjob base, hinder the opposition where you can, excuse your inability to get anything done with the proceedings, and then get acquitted by your morally and otherwise corrupt senators.

You claim vindication, and oh look, this all happened just in time for the election. And the candidate you knew you could most easily beat, the ones the progressives you actually fear would rather not see nominated, was suddenly marked a) as your "most dangerous" opponent, thereby guaranteeing his nomination; and b) simultaneously smeared by your fabricated allegations. Neat!

Do I think Trump planned this? No effin' way. He's just being his instinctive, vindictive, miserable self. But his handlers? I'm certain they are making these sort of calculations. But... is impeachment a mistake then? Also no EFFIN' way. You impeach not because it's politically opportune, but because it's your job. It's what the constitution demands of you. And what you should have done a long time ago.

You impeach even if you think you might lose in the senate, and even if you might lose the election, and even if you might lose your seat, and even if you might lose the majority in the house. You impeach not only because you don't know that any or all of this will happen, but primarily because impeachmentis the right thing to do.

You impeach because in politics you (and the opposing party) are setting precedent every single step of the way, with every action as well as every inaction.

You didn't impeach Trump for violation of the emoluments clause, so he continues to shamelessly make money off the presidency; you didn't impeach him for collusion with Russia, so now he goes to Zelensky; you didn't impeach him for obstruction of justice, so he and his White House aides continue to obstruct.

All the times you didn't act set precedence, said it's ok to do that; made it harder to later react, to enforce laws, to keep democracy functioning. Your inaction so far already made it more likely that future presidents will act similarly.

Republicans will stand by him, without even pretending to hold their noses? Let them. Get them on the record, explicitly accepting what is far beyond normal, smearing themselves with Trumps filth in the process. Draw a line, at last. How we got here is at least in part your fault.

So yes, 3D chess or Jenga, with Trump pulling blocks out of the foundation of this democracy... ITMFA. Then do Kavanaugh, and Barr, and the rest of Trump's willing enablers. 'Cause if you don't stand for something, you fall for anything.

"You got to tell 'em JUST, LIKE, DAT, ya know what I'm sayin?"

September 28th, 2019