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denem

(11,045 posts)
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:08 AM Jan 2020

Mitch McConnell's rare blunder

Mitch McConnell's rare blunder

Mitch McConnell is reportedly furiously trying to whip the votes necessary to avoid calling witnesses in the Senate's impeachment trial of President Trump.

This seems like a rare case where McConnell is making a politically substantive error.

Calling witnesses, after all, could be used to legitimize the GOP's acquittal vote, in the same way the cursory "investigation" of Brett Kavanaugh was used as a shield to justify his confirmation. Plowing through this farcical trial, on the other hand, gives Democrats a permanent argument against the trial's legitimacy and, more importantly, leaves the president and all elected Republicans vulnerable to damaging, election-eve revelations.

None of this has any bearing on how Republicans will vote. Like the film version of Titanic, everyone knows how the impeachment saga will conclude. The ship sinks. The president is acquitted. And as with the film, the real question is how the audience will react.

https://theweek.com/articles/892491/mitch-mcconnells-rare-blunder
27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Mitch McConnell's rare blunder (Original Post) denem Jan 2020 OP
He makes a good point. nt Jade Fox Jan 2020 #1
I can see the parallels denem Jan 2020 #2
It IS a good point, but ONLY if Democrats take advantage of McConnell's Hobson's choice, by OnDoutside Jan 2020 #5
I thought Senate GOP was being pushed NewJeffCT Jan 2020 #3
That wouldn't surprise me at all. yardwork Jan 2020 #9
SuperBowl is on Fox? milestogo Jan 2020 #10
Yes, it's Fox' turn to get the game DeminPennswoods Jan 2020 #16
Crap! KC finally gets back to the Super Bowl and Fox is carrying it. WyattKansas Jan 2020 #27
I don't think the network matters NewJeffCT Jan 2020 #20
A lot of companies want Super Bowl ad time. milestogo Jan 2020 #25
Witnesses mean Wabbajack_ Jan 2020 #4
A little bit that, but McConnell has said right from the start that if they start allowing witnesses OnDoutside Jan 2020 #6
Truth is the enemy Scarsdale Jan 2020 #7
Absolutely correct, however, no doubt he reasons that maybe they can create an alternate "truth" by OnDoutside Jan 2020 #24
Except that Mitch, Trump and all the GOP co-conspirators know EXACTLY where witnesses will lead Mr. Ected Jan 2020 #12
We absolutely need "election-eve revelations". CaptYossarian Jan 2020 #8
All comments here feed directly into GOP fraud. MFGsunny Jan 2020 #11
Yes, they don't have a good choice bucolic_frolic Jan 2020 #13
This! n/t MFGsunny Jan 2020 #14
That's assuming more than the -/+10million watching really jmg257 Jan 2020 #17
Trump is king gab13by13 Jan 2020 #15
affirmed The Wizard Jan 2020 #18
"We can overwhelm their cheating". SergeStorms Jan 2020 #22
So true, overwhelm the cheat machine. Farmer-Rick Jan 2020 #23
they know what the witnesses say will be worse than any of the blow back LeftTurn3623 Jan 2020 #19
McConnell's "blunder" is much more pervasive than a shallow victory for Trump Eyeball_Kid Jan 2020 #21
K&R! n/t PandoraAwakened Jan 2020 #26
 

denem

(11,045 posts)
2. I can see the parallels
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:32 AM
Jan 2020

We had the FBI investigation ... then confirmed Kavanaugh.
We had Bolton as a witness ... then. acquitted Trump.

This time there is not fig leaf.

OnDoutside

(19,952 posts)
5. It IS a good point, but ONLY if Democrats take advantage of McConnell's Hobson's choice, by
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:48 AM
Jan 2020

hammering the shite out of all Republicans running for Senate, with ads. Interestingly Rick Wilson believes that the big 2020 battleground will be TV ads.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)
3. I thought Senate GOP was being pushed
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:35 AM
Jan 2020

by Trump because he already spent $10 million for an EXONERATION ad to play on the Super Bowl on Sunday?

WyattKansas

(1,648 posts)
27. Crap! KC finally gets back to the Super Bowl and Fox is carrying it.
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 02:56 PM
Jan 2020

By the way, Fox televised games always suck too, just like their FUX NEWZ.

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)
20. I don't think the network matters
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 09:43 AM
Jan 2020

CBS, ABC or NBC likely wouldn't turn down a $10 million ad buy from the TrumpGOP - only Democratic/progressive causes are "controversial" and get spiked

Wabbajack_

(1,300 posts)
4. Witnesses mean
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:46 AM
Jan 2020

The trial drags on past the SOTU and Trump doesn't want that. And they don't want that cause he'd probably say some unhinged shit instead of what is put on his teleprompter.

OnDoutside

(19,952 posts)
6. A little bit that, but McConnell has said right from the start that if they start allowing witnesses
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:49 AM
Jan 2020

there's no knowing where it could lead to, and where it would end. That's been his biggest concern from the beginning.

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
7. Truth is the enemy
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 07:58 AM
Jan 2020

of tRump and the gop. Can't let voters see clearly what they have been up to, now can we? An informed electorate will vote (D) except for the truly lost souls who STILL cheer on the orange ass.

OnDoutside

(19,952 posts)
24. Absolutely correct, however, no doubt he reasons that maybe they can create an alternate "truth" by
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 11:01 AM
Jan 2020

killing this asap i.e. "Move along, nothing to see here". This is why I'm hoping that the Democrats can hammer the truth home with a sledgehammer.....The Republicans ran from witnesses because they knew Trump was as guilty as sin.

Mr. Ected

(9,670 posts)
12. Except that Mitch, Trump and all the GOP co-conspirators know EXACTLY where witnesses will lead
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 08:41 AM
Jan 2020

And it's straight to the top of the RNC, with its own trickle-down effect touching on most, if not many, Republicans in the House and the Senate.

MFGsunny

(2,356 posts)
11. All comments here feed directly into GOP fraud.
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 08:38 AM
Jan 2020

Moscow Mitch and his minions have miscalculated.

They've let themselves be pulled into a catch-22 :: no witnesses plus MF45 acquittal spotlights fraudulent exoneration; witnesses allowed and the repukes lose control of the outcome to ensure acquittal of MF45.

Scenario 1 = they lose
Scenario 2 = they lose

bucolic_frolic

(43,124 posts)
13. Yes, they don't have a good choice
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 09:13 AM
Jan 2020

GOP Senators are choosing or are being pushed into voting for no witnesses so they can have campaign cash and no primary challengers. They think they are stronger that way.

But revelations of the truth will continue, weekly, daily, and the electorate other than their MAGA supporters will remain outraged.

Voter anger is what drives wave elections. Kick the bums out! is all you need to know.

jmg257

(11,996 posts)
17. That's assuming more than the -/+10million watching really
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 09:28 AM
Jan 2020

Give a shit.

My guess is, most still tuned in have already made up
Their minds too.

gab13by13

(21,299 posts)
15. Trump is king
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 09:20 AM
Jan 2020

There will be no witnesses. Trump will be exonerated 53-47. Republicans will continue to suppress the vote, continue to remove millions from voter rolls, will continue election fraud, rigging voting machines.

With that said, we can still prevail if we overwhelm them at the ballot box. We can overwhelm their cheating. Vote, because our democracy is in grave peril.

SergeStorms

(19,192 posts)
22. "We can overwhelm their cheating".
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 10:14 AM
Jan 2020

Who's to say Vladimir Putin can't overwhelm our overwhelming votes? I think democracy is already dead, and this republican impeachment bullshit is merely the writing on the headstone.

Farmer-Rick

(10,154 posts)
23. So true, overwhelm the cheat machine.
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 10:15 AM
Jan 2020

That's how Obama did it.

All this Impeachment theater does is give voters a reason to Not vote for Dumpy. Now, in the general we have to get voters excited and determined to vote no matter what.

But, this impeachment is also hurting RepubliCONS in their home states. The State can't be gerrymandered like districts. This is where excited and determined voters can really overturn the cheat machine's applecart.

Eyeball_Kid

(7,430 posts)
21. McConnell's "blunder" is much more pervasive than a shallow victory for Trump
Thu Jan 30, 2020, 10:10 AM
Jan 2020

McConnell sets in motion the death of the Constitution. It will die with an acquittal. GOPers don't care whether the Constitution dies, so they're all killing it to glorify their Dictator King, who is already declaring victory.

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