Friday, July 25, 2014

Reasons not to impeach

Obamacare, Operation Fast & Furious, immigration, wiretapping the New York Times, the NSA spying on Americans, etc, etc.  Seems like a great time to impeach a President, at least some Republicans see it that way.  There is a love affair with impeaching Presidents by the opposing party but a little history lesson is all it takes to show impeachment doesn't work.

Most Americans over 50 would incorrectly answer that Richard Nixon was impeached for Watergate.  While he was certainly GOING to be impeached, he in fact resigned before he could face impeachment.  Bill Clinton was impeached but was acquitted by the Senate.  Before Nixon and Clinton, you have to go all the way back to find Andrew Johnson who was also impeached (and like Clinton, acquitted by the Senate).

Impeachment is a fool's paradise.  It sounds good to the electorate faithful but to actually bring a sitting President is practically impossible.  Obama may helm one of the most inept and aloof administration's in modern times but with 53 Democrats holding seats in the Senate to the Republicans 45, the success of an impeachment seems remote.

To the Republican faithful, a weak, elitist fop like Obama is a prime candidate for impeachment and a way to win back the White House and Senate.  At best, this view is myopic.

Love him or hate him, Obama is the man in the White House.  To take out him, or any sitting President for that matter, would send a signal to the rest of the world that the US has finally come apart.  It would also be seen as a white minority taking out the first elected Black President.  The US would be divided along racial and political lines like never before.  Russia, China and every terrorist group you could name would see it as a green light to go forward with their agenda.  The Middle East would devolve even further into chaos and Israel might be forced to use nuclear weapons.

Everyone talking impeachment needs to take a deep breath and relax.  Team Obama is on the ropes and is getting pummeled by Russia, Iraq, Syria, and Israel.  Central American leaders came to Washington to be lectured by Obama about sending their children here but they turned the tables on him and took him out behind the woodshed.

Taking the President out now would risk a true global war.  The only thing keepings things from becoming more chaotic is the realization that in less than two years a new President takes office (who more and more may not be named Hillary Clinton).  The American military (of which I am a proud veteran) is tired and broke after fighting non-stop for 12 years and our potential adversaries know this.

This is not to support or excuse the lackluster performance our current President has demonstrated in the last 6-8 months.  It is just to say that we need to keep our criticisms in house and not give an already emboldened world more reason to challenge us.

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