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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama’s Impeachment Would Probably Benefit Obama
Given the increase possibility that the tea party will impeach President Obama, I found this article on the possible effects of the impeachment interesting.http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/ten-miles-square/2013/10/post047213.php The basic premise is that when you pick on one person, it is easy to dismiss that person's complaints but it is harder to dismiss these complaints when there is a pattern. Given the fact that the GOP wrongfully impeached President Clinton, there is a pattern that can be exploited.
As virtually no one remembers Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton stood alone in the dock in the publics mind when he was impeached. That would have made it easy for his accusers to make his impeachment about him even if he hadnt engaged in sketchy behavior.
But if the Tea Partiers impeach President Obama, it will be hard to persuade anyone not suffering from epistemic closure that two Democratic Presidents in a row just happened to deserve impeachment. The publics attention and attributions would shift to the radicals in the Republican ranks: Why have these people impeached every Democratic President elected in the last 20 years?
Even if they didnt have that psychological phenomenon in their favor, the Democrats would have two huge advantages in convincing the public that an Obama impeachment case was really about the Tea Party rather than the President: Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Thats as politically talented a pair as exists in the U.S. today, and its hard to think of anyone in the House of Representatives who could take them on and successfully frame an impeachment debate in the Tea Partys preferred fashion.
Presidential impeachment would thus, like everything else the Tea Party is currently doing, be popular in their echo chamber but help convince the rest of the country that they are a dangerous and irresponsible force in U.S. politics. Its not therefore something that Obama should fear. Indeed, he might even welcome it.
I believe that the tea party and GOP will eventually impeach President Obama. Such a step hurt the GOP with President Clinton and that hurt will be worse if this stunt is tried on President Obama. We need to be prepared to respond to any impeachment attempts by the GOP or Tea Party with a simple question:
Why is it only Democratic Presidents who are being impeached?
The more we point out the pattern of GOP conduct, the more painful it will be for the tea party and the GOP when they get around to this tactic
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)October 9, 2013
Bachmann: Impeach Obama
Here: http://www.alan.com/2013/10/09/bachmann-impeach-obama/
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)Bachmann is clearly crazy but she is typical of many members of the tea party branch of the GOP
M.G.
(250 posts)Top Ten Reasons For the Impeachment of Barack Obama...
(Add your own!)
10) A ghost writer crafted his autobiography, a prosecutable offense. Proof? No Harvard Law Review editor has the brains to narrate his own life story.
9) Older red-state voters still find him scary. Just why is that? Must be something he did, right?
8) Membership in the Communist Party is a felony, and Democrats are the new Communists.
7) Because we say so. Ha!
6) Because he conspired with Bin Laden. Don't believe the liberal media hype. They're actually beer buddies.
5) When Michelle Obama spoke at the Oscars, it violated laws against politicians not named Reagan having Hollywood ties.
4) Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi. Ben-Gha-Zee! If you say it often enough, something illegal must have gone down.
3) Because unlike Texas, Chicago is the most corrupt part of America.
2) Because the IRS did its job.
And at number one...
1) Because we say so! Take that, hippies!
IrishAyes
(6,151 posts)IrishAyes
(6,151 posts)You probably said it better, though.
As ObamaCare catches fire with the public fancy, it will be ever more suicidal for the TPs to impeach the man who gave us national health care. One more GIANT nail in the GOP coffin.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)I agree with your assessment but fear that logic and common sense has no meaning for the tea party branch of the GOP. They hate President Obama and facts/logic will not stop them
IrishAyes
(6,151 posts)We might as well say then, just bring it on. The sooner the TPs wipeout, the better. Regardless of what he might say, Boner would thank us in his heart. Ooops - he hasn't got one. But he'll be secretly glad anyway. He's riding a tiger and doesn't know how to get off unless we rescue him. Well, I don't give a rat's patootie about Boner, but I do want relief for his victims.
cynatnite
(31,011 posts)They're desperate for it.
IrishAyes
(6,151 posts)I'll bet Cruz already has an undated document ready to go.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)Just in Texas, we had Steve Stockman http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/10/16/well-it-would-keep-the-circus-in-town-a-week-longer/ and Lt. Governor Dewhurst http://www.juanitajean.com/2013/10/15/the-dew-jumps-into-the-pits-of-hell/
I have no doubt that the tea party will try to impeach President Obama