Was the Democratic impeachment worth it

A lot of attention has been paid to the impeachment of President Donald Trump, as House Democrats voted to impeach him as the 2020 election draws closer. But the question, as the future of the country hangs in the balance, is whether or not those efforts by the Democrats were worth it. Given the current state of those proceedings and the outlook on the 2020 election, all signs are pointing to their efforts not at all being worth it.

Senate will not remove

The most important thing that should be remembered in all of the impeachment hoopla is the fact that President Trump will not be removed from office. Even as the House finally handed the articles of impeachment over to the Senate to try the President, the Republican majority Senate is not at all likely to remove the President based on the accusations that have been made against him. The House has already been lambasted by the likes of Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins, a coalition that likely means that everyone in between them on the Republican spectrum will be unlikely to vote to remove.

This was a move that was never likely to pay off for the Democrats, given the current breakdown of Democrats versus Republicans in the Senate. In fact, the impeachment manoeuvre being played by the Democrats had a far worse chance of success than a snowball’s chance in hell.

Impact on 2020 election

Perhaps the most interesting ramifications of the impeachment probe by the Democrats might not be the impact it has on the current term for President Trump, but instead what impact it will have on the 2020 election. Both Democrat and Republican voters are sure to be galvanised heading into the election this time around, and the question will be which group of galvanized voters will be able to scoop up enough electoral votes to get the job done.

To his credit, President Trump has been working to consolidate his base in the midst of the impeachment situation, as he has turned his attention to religious voters on the campaign trail. Given his improved favorability with Republicans, it is likely that Trump gets a similar outpouring of support as he did in the 2016 election. The real question will be what kind of impact the impeachment proceedings will have on the Democrats.

While it is possible that the Democrats get a higher turnout in 2020, there is also the possibility that going through with impeachment proceedings and trying to take the presidency could be viewed as a negative in the eyes of many voters. Given the small number of impeachments that have taken place in the history of the country, making the move to impeach is one that could be seen as a power grab more than it is seen as a legitimate response to any political movement that has taken place in the country. For that reason, the Democrats could see a decrease in support at the polls.

As of now, President Trump remains the favourite to retain the presidency and to earn another four years in charge of the United States. And as the Democrats figure out who they are going to run against him, the current impeachment situation will loom over the Democratic primaries and likely keep the attention of the nation as the election cycle progresses. Republicans are hoping that the impeachment circus can help them not just keep the presidency, but to pick up seats in the other areas of government as well.

The editorial unit