Rahm Emanuel: How Impeachment Could Flip the Senate

[pnwmom]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/29/rahm-emanuel-oped-impeachment-senate/

But if the scandal is working to preserve the Democratic tilt in the House, it could upend things in the Senate, where Republicans hold a three-seat margin. Impeachment will likely decide the fate of a handful of Senate Republicans currently in cycle. For Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Martha McSally (Ariz.), a vote to convict is unthinkable: It risks the president’s wrath and a likely primary challenge. That combination would force each senator to embrace an agenda alien to most swing voters.
Impeachment trial live updates

A vote to acquit, however, will force every senator to own Trump’s emboldened rhetoric of being exonerated. Which means they’ll have to defend Trump when the next embarrassing audio recording hits the airwaves, or when another witness surfaces to speak, or when John Bolton’s book comes out, or when internal memos about the “drug deal” come out via the Freedom of Information Act. Republican senators will become full-time exonerators.

That dilemma is now playing out in real time. Some 63 percent of voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maine and North Carolina look unfavorably on the Senate’s decision to date to disallow witnesses and hide documents — yet all five senators mentioned earlier have, so far, voted against transparency. That may partly explain why the five Republican senators are “underwater,” meaning that more constituents view them negatively than positively. And if that snapshot bodes poorly, the trend lines are worse: In the last quarter of 2019, McSally and Collins saw 5- and 4-point drops, respectively, in their “net” approval rating — an indication that a rising share of their constituents view them in a negative light.

For years, I’ve believed that the balance of the Senate almost invariably followed the outcome of a presidential election. This coming year, by contrast, the Trump impeachment may have such inertial power that the old truism of nationalized results during presidential cycles may no longer be valid. If so, the current trial, if you can call it that, will “decouple” the battles for the White House and the world’s “greatest deliberative body.”

[Zolorp]

1. His article assumes free elections.

I do not believe that will ever be a given any longer in this nation.

[Johnny2X2X]

3. The entire federal government now exists for only 1 reason

To keep Republicans in power.

[Nikki28]

2. I agree with you

I see so much deceit with the Trump party involved with Russia and they are acting like fools because they have already took all year to make time for Russia to rig the systems. The tell would be if the Dem again as Mitch to go to paper ballets and his response. I feel if we don't go to paper ballet, we will lose all three branches and will be lost forever.
Before Trump was elected, these people knew USA's values.Now they are all in the pocket of Putin and this explains their attitude and no care for the law. I think we are already in trouble when it comes to our democracy.

[struggle4progress]

4. Jarama