Don't think for a moment that the left has forgotten about its medium term goal: the removal of President Trump from office. Left-wing groups have been conducting polling analyses to test various arguments for impeachment, and Mr. Impeachment himself, Tom Steyer, has been busy too. He's advancing the "mental instability" and "obstruction of justice" narratives simultaneously. Only the diehards are clinging on to the Russian collusion illusion, but don't be heartened by that fact. If the left can convince a majority of Americans to support impeachment for ANY reason, no matter how specious, they will pounce. Given the level of anti-Trump hysteria they've already engendered, we can't afford to take this threat lightly.
You can read more about Steyer's malevolent machinations here:
https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/02/13/trump-mental-state-tom-steyer-407176
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-impeachment-just-matter-time-130002857.html
Dr. Waddy: Why I thought the left rejects "hate"! That picture isn't even the first time I've seen that "icky" word used by opponents of the President. Well! Picture this: "September 15, 2019. As the Democrat led House prepares to pass articles of impeachment for President Trump an extraordinary spectacle develops. From all directions an unprecedented flood of humanity engulfs the District of Columbia. All roads are impassable, the airlines, bus lines and railroads have broken down under the unrelenting pressure and all accomodations are long since exhausted.Common to these probable millions are their plainly expressed support for the President and their determination that he will not be hounded out of office. Senate take heed." Your concern about the impeachment effort is well founded; the right combination of circumstances could set it in motion but I'm confident that Trump nation, the real America, would rise and put the fear of electoral death in 2020 in the minds of those among the progenitors of this outrage who retain any common sense. Yet,how contemptuous they are of everyday Americans! I lived through the Nixon impeachment and the will to prosecute Trump does not exist in strength sufficient to get it done, I think. The ever hopeful MSM would have us believe conviction probable but their motives are so very obvious; failure in this may well deal them a crippling blow. We must, I agree, be blithe to administer it.
ReplyDeleteHello Dr. Waddy. I'm a past student of yours from 10-12 years ago. I read that your textbook was finished. Congratulations. I fondly remember my International Relations class you taught and credit some of what I learned for my continued interest in the topic and history in general as I grew older. Anyways, I just read in the Daily Reporter your op-ed titled 'Impeach the Democratic Party' and had a question regarding it that I had hoped you would answer. You write in the article 'by contrast, President Trump has never suggested that laws against electoral interference, espionage, or treason should not be enforced - he has simply stated that he is innocent of all of these crimes'. Wouldn't you consider his failing to enact sanctions on Russia that were overwhelmingly approved in bipartisan fashion by both houses of congress to be disturbing and suspicious? Thanks for your time and willingness to add to the discussion.
ReplyDelete-Mike Miller
Thanks Jack for your vote of confidence for the "everyday American". I was only 7 years old when Nixon resigned in 1974, sadly, I don't remember that. I agree, the MSM will do just about anything/everything to get at this president.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I was just a few months old when Nixon resigned, but he's always been one of my favorite Presidents. Granted, he wasn't perfect, but he was a great and savvy Cold Warrior.
ReplyDeleteJack, you're right that fear of blowback may dissuade the Democrats from pursuing impeachment. Plus, starting the impeachment process when one knows it will almost certainly fail is a hard sell. It's telling that, as much as Democrats hate Trump, only a minority have so far voted to begin impeachment proceedings. At the very least, they seem to need Mueller to give them cover.
Mike, thanks for joining the party! Ah, IR. I haven't taught it in years, but certainly enjoyed the discussions we had. Welcome to the blog! As for Russian sanctions, as far as I know Trump has signed bills that strengthened sanctions, and he has applied those sanctions as Congress intended. Can you cite any evidence to support the contention that he hasn't? You're right that Trump can be perceived as "soft" on Putin, but that doesn't prove criminality of any kind. Likewise, some Democrats these days are practically pushing for war with Russia. That's odd and politically dangerous, but it doesn't make them criminals or traitors, per se. By all means, show me some evidence, and I'll be happy to reconsider.
Dr. Waddy: I think Nixon is a tragic figure. He certainly did know how to deal with the Soviets and the ChiComs. We wouldn't have had a Cuban Missile Crisis had Nixon been in office. Khrushchev had met both Kennedy and Nixon. Kennedy he sized up as just a silly playboy with no guts(he was wrong about the guts). But he knew Nixon had sand. By the time of the resignation, Nixon had lost all political support, even publicly among his most loyal supporters. The political will to see the whole thing through was there in the nation and he knew it.Everyone knew it. More and more I think he is being reevaluated and is winning the praise he deserves. They should name an aircraft carrier after him; it would be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jack: "tragic figure" is just the phrase. Nixon made some terrible mistakes, but to be fair to him "dirty tricks" were the norm in his day, and other Presidents had gotten away with considerably worse. It's amazing how much our political and media environment has changed since 1972-74, though. Today I believe it would be very, very difficult to reach bipartisan consensus on impeachment.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2018/01/30/the-trump-administrations-weird-explanation-for-withholding-russia-sanctions/?utm_term=.e5ecdcb18e37
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to an article on what I was talking about.
-Mike Miller
Hi Mike. Thanks for sharing. I see your point, but on the other hand the Trump administration has been much more aggressive than Obama was in countering Russia and its proxies in Syria... I can also see the administration's point that the sanctions bill was intended to (perhaps unconstitutionally) limit Presidential authority vis-a-vis foreign relations, presumably based on the (almost certainly false) assumption that there was Trump-Russia collusion. There are also legitimate concerns that sanctions against any country or company doing business with Russia's defense sector could worsen relations with many of our allies. So, again, I think you have a point, and the administration's cautious approach to sanctions may look suspicious, but personally I'm not sure what the best way is to counter Russian "meddling". Perhaps exposing it, when it occurs, is the best medicine. I'm also not at all convinced that, if Russia's goal was to help Trump, they succeeded. These charges of meddling and collusion have been a serious liability for the Trump administration -- which may be all to the good, from Russia's perspective. Above all, I think they want a weak President, and a divided America.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy: I think the best way to counter Russian meddling in our elections is for us to stop interfering in their relationship with Ukraine. Perhaps if we do they will back off. I think they want to get along with us but they cannot brook our involvement in what, for appreciable historical, geographical,military and emotional reasons, is to them an internal affair. I think they are warning us in what they consider to be a restrained manner by messing with our internal affairs.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Jack, that we should mind our own business re: Ukraine, but that's mainly because it's a vital interest for Russia, and a non-interest for us... I also find myself wondering: why the hyper-sensitivity to RUSSIAN "meddling"? Presumably, lots of countries and interests do their best to meddle in elections of all sorts. Why aren't we looking at "meddling" in the global sense? Answer: because the anti-Trump narrative is all that matters, apparently.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy: You summed it up; I think the Russians consider it very vital and we have no reason to gainsay them. Maybe the left is sore at the Russians for unforgiveably giving up on Marxism after a mere 73 years of unshirted hell. It may also simply be them playing the Slick Willy preemption game ("why of course, we were Cold Warriors too and we've never forgotten; you can't fault us for that"). Their Russia concern is disingenuous, I agree and serves only their frantic determination to return politics to the elite after Trump's insolent usurpation on behalf of the real America.
ReplyDeleteThe obsession with Russia is indeed hard to figure, after the left spent the whole Cold War apologizing for Russia... I thought Trump's use of Obama's own words this morning was spot on. Before the election, Democrats viewed questioning the legitimacy of a US election as beyond the pale. Once they had lost, priorities changed very quickly!
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