Dichotomous Dissonance: Saturday Political Soap box 216

I got a problem.

It's the same problem that anyone who is not a Trumpeteer has.

It's a dichotomy, as defined by Webster's as "something with seemingly contradictory qualities."

It can also be cognitive dissonance, as in holding two opposing beliefs at the same time.

What is the dilemma?  What is causing so much anguish in myself and many others?

Because I hold two things to be equally true -

Trump has to be impeached

and

Trump must be defeated at the polls in 2020

How can both things happen?  I don't know.  But both have to happen.

Trump must be impeached

We don't have a choice.  He has, without question, committed many impeachable offenses, far more than any President in American History.

Obstruction of justice, profiting from the Presidency (constant violations of the emoluments clause), advocating political & police violence  & persecuting political opponents (just one example is the hate he is fomenting against the Squad), abuse of power, violating campaign finance laws (he's an unindicted co-conspirator, for God's sake),  accepting help from a foreign government to win an election, engaging in reckless conduct (where he makes impulsive decisions without informing himself of facts or briefs and often has to have his excesses and irrationality checked by staff and others), attacking and demonizing the free press (and private citizens), stating that he intends to disregard court decisions and ignore Congress's ability to control the purse strings  (stealing money from other  agencies to build the Wall that Congress won't fund).  There is an iceberg, and this is just the tip of it.

To not do anything is to let all this be acceptable, and the new standard of conduct.  This shatters democracy.  This crumbles the rule of law.  

If a criminal is given no sanction or punishment in committing crimes, they will then not stop committing crimes.  And he has said that he will.  He will continue to seek out and accept help from foreign governments.  He will continue to enrich himself at the expense of the rest of us.  He will continue to assault the press and spew hatred, racial and otherwise, at his opponents, dragging our electoral process lower than it's ever been, emboldening the most dangerous voices and actors in our country.  He will increasingly ignore the checks on Presidential power, refusing to let Congress speak to anyone in hearings, defying court orders, siphoning money as he will, cutting people off food stamps and medicare by executive decision.  He will fire those who hold him in check, and his irrationality will endanger us, particularly in foreign relations, as he strengthens the dictators in the world and weakens democracy everywhere.

Every day he stays in power, it is a gamble and danger to the nation's and the world's survival.

He has to be impeached.  The statement has to be made - the President endangers the rule of law, and if ever impeachment is to be used, it must be used now!

Yes, I know.  The Senate is not likely to convict.  His most rabid supporters will have a martyr.  It could backfire on the Democrats and cause setbacks in the 2020 election.

But the consequences of not doing anything are greater than that of doing something.

He must be impeached.

Trump must be defeated at the polls in 2020

This nightmare has to end.  And the best wat to end it is for him and his allies (without the Senate, the Democrats still lose) to be thoroughly and utterly defeated and humiliated at the polls. 

Trumpism is a terminal disease on the body politic.  It threatens to end us all, and as long as their supporters fantasize they can win, they will be a risk. Only in resounding defeat can they begin to understand what a hopeless minority they are.  And if Trump is impeached and convicted, they will not have that come to Jesus moment when they realize they are not in charge.

I have less to say about this, but I do understand its importance.

I also know, like impeachment, it's a considerable risk.

With the electoral college, he could once again get smashed in the popular vote and cobble together what he needs to be imposed as President.  Yes, the electoral college is that messed up.

He will vilify and demonize and lie about anyone who dares oppose him, and there are plenty of suckers who will lap up his crap.  Especially in our polarized social media world.  Especially with help from foreign governments.

So,

If he is impeached and then not convicted, Trump will use it as a bludgeon to show he was vindicated.

If he is impeached and convicted, he will be turned into a martyr by his army of cultists, and they may lash out in violent and disruptive ways,  They may rally around another fascist tyrant.

If he is defeated at the polls, his cultists may not accept the results (hell, Trump might not accept it).  And as in impeachment in conviction, the cultists may lash out in violent and disruptive ways.

Remember, many of them are not fighting just to get rid of Obamacare, or persecute immigrants (both documented and undocumented)*, they are fighting to preserve white European dominance of our culture.  They will not surrender this gracefully.

There are dangers to both approaches, but doing nothing is not an option.  We must act.  Somehow, we must do both.  We have to impeach Trump.  We have to defeat Trumpism.

Since there are risks no matter what we do, we have to act based on what is right, not what is politically expedient.  We cannot base our decisions on strategy, but what is decent.

We must impeach.

We must defeat.

I don't know how we're going to pull it off, but we have to.

Our children and grandchildren are counting on us.

* persecution of immigrants only applies to people of color.  White European immigrants are, of course, A-Otay.