Thoughts On Impeachment

I have some thoughts after watching the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. I am not sure how germaine these thoughts are but at least to my mind, it helps to explain some things. After the vote yesterday blocking additional witnesses, I, like many of you were disheartened and in disbelief at the actions taken in the Senate. While watching the post vote coverage, one of the talking heads made the point that over 50% of the population of the US now lives in nine states; California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia and North Carolina. Now, as we know, each state has 2 senators. From these nine states that represents over half the population, 10 of these Senators are Republican and only 8 are Democrats. The point I am trying to make here is that, yes 75% of the American people wanted additional witness testimony and additional documents but, when you start to do the math, not enough of the people who wanted more evidence were represented by enough Senators.

Clearly it was a political calculation. Thanks in part to Donald Trump, the Republican party is losing ground and they are trying everything possible to cling to power. I am dismayed and more than a little disappointed that more Senators did not see the facts for what they are and have the courage to stand up to a clearly lawless Executive. Politics in this 21st century has become more about maintaining control and less about governing the country. I don't like it, but on some level I understand it.

I'm not sure if Trump understands the dynamic at work currently in the US. The way he has conducted himself and the mockery he has made of our government has awoken a large majority of voters who have not typically voted in the past. He has energized a large voting block and yes, he has energized his base but he has energized the opposition even more. The backlash to Trump will be a political movement like we haven't seen in this country for generations. The task at hand is to mobilize, organize and energize those forces opposed to the current administration and make sure the voter turnout this year is the highest percentage in history. We know that the more people who vote, the better the chances that we will end up with the government we deserve.