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Your Opinion on Impeachment
I’d like to gauge the extent of support for, or opposition to, impeachment among the Ricochetti. Here’s what I ask you to do: I’m going to set forth two questions, and if you’re interested in participating, I ask that you answer them in the comments. This will work better if you refrain from commenting or arguing, and simply state your answers.
The two questions are:
- At this moment, do you support or oppose the impeachment and conviction of President Trump? I recommend that you answer either “support impeachment and conviction,” “oppose impeachment and conviction,” or “undecided.”
- Have you changed your mind on the question of impeachment and removal? I recommend that you answer either “I have changed my mind as events unfolded” or “I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.” The purpose of this question is to gauge whether additional consideration, during the past 8 days or so, has altered any initial opinion that you may have formed.
I should add that, by answering question 1, I do not think that you should be bound to that answer in the future. You may learn additional facts, or you may be persuaded by additional arguments, in either direction.
Prior to this recommended poll, I have two data points about the level of support for impeachment and conviction among folks on the political right:
- Among the Ricochetti, the data suggest that we are close to 50-50. Jon Gabriel posted (here) on January 6, stating that the President should be impeached, convicted, and removed, and that post currently has 47 likes. I posted (here) on January 8, strongly criticizing the call for impeachment, and that post currently has 50 likes.
- Among Republican Congressmen, 200 opposed impeachment, 10 voted for impeachment (with 1 absent and not yet determined).
My answers: I oppose impeachment and conviction. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.
Published in Politics
Bob Thompson
Michael Yon Interview With Joshua Philipp Of Epoch Times
I was worried until I heard what Michael Yon had to say about events outside the Capitol.
Gary Robbins:
Two points. First, I think that this comment is off topic.
Second, Epoch Times is suspect. See the following from The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/01/inside-the-epoch-times-a-mysterious-pro-trump-newspaper/617645/:
MAGA-land’s Favorite Newspaper
How The Epoch Times became a pro-Trump propaganda machine in an age of plague and insurrection
The Epoch Times is unreservedly pro–Donald Trump, and coverage of the newspaper tends to portray it as either a recent entrant into the Trumpist media stable or a case study of Facebook-enabled misinformation. To an extent, it is both. Following Joe Biden’s election as president, the newspaper reconstituted itself into a vehicle for esoteric voter-fraud allegations. In Georgia, heading into the two January special elections for the U.S. Senate, people affiliated with the newspaper materialized to stick copies under car windshields. Balmakov himself now has his own YouTube channel, Facts Matter, devoted to the notion that the election is not over; in less than two months, the channel has amassed more than 400,000 subscribers.
The newspaper, whose revenues have quadrupled in the Trump years, has used every opportunity to call Biden’s victory into doubt. It has interviewed promoters of election-related falsehoods ad nauseam and eagerly publicized the January 6 Trump rally that turned into an insurrection at the Capitol. Even after the violence of January 6, The Epoch Times has continued to publicize doubts about the outcome of the presidential election. One of its columnists postulated that the riot was a “false flag” operation.
But conventional descriptions of The Epoch Times don’t adequately capture the singular mix of straight news, religious belief, conspiracy-peddling, Sinophobia, science denialism, legitimate grievance, and political expediency at the heart of the institution—a mix that, despite the paper’s mysteries, makes it a strangely fitting poster child for this unsettled moment.
Even if we grant that all these things are correct and also affect the accuracy of their reporting, . . . does that make them any worse than the MSM?
@garyrobbins How can you manage to get everything wrong in one comment? You are the one off topic and The Epoch Times was anti-Communist before it was pro-Trump.
My comment is pointing to Michael Yon and his report on the Capitol riot which could influence some on the OP topic questions. That is on topic.
You sincerely do not comprehend the perversity of relying on the Atlantic’s representation of the Epoch Times?
What does Rachel Maddow have to say, or how about The Nation or Mother Jones, why not really nail this thing down with the opinion of Media Matters.
The Epoch Times is the worlds preeminent news outlet challenging the repression and tyranny of the Chinese Communists and there is Ricochet’s own Biden voting Gary pooping on a truly courageous news outlet actually risking their lives in challenging Chinese dictator thugs.
The Epoch times did early accurate comprehensive in depth investigative reporting into the corruption of the Russia Collusion Hoax which I do not believe the Atlantic has even acknowledged the corruption to this day. To those who still cling to the corrupt Mueller report obstruction of justice nonsense the Epoch Times revealing the corruption of the Russia Collusion Hoax requires ridiculous attempts to discredit The Epoch Times which go as far as relying on Left wing news outlets and never questioning the motives and ideology of the Atlantic.
Let’s be bombarded by materials from The Bulwark and The Lincoln Project, and then have to put up with criticism of The Epoch Times..
Could it be any easier to poke holes in this argument?
The Other Thread Hijacker strikes again, I see.
Oppose. I can only hope that Trump laughs, and thinks up some clever harmless thing to do to goad them into a third impeachment before the end of the week. Go big or go home!
I have not changed my mind. But I am always open to new information, whatcha got?
I have always thought that Liberals Ruin Everything. But who knew that they would also ruin impeachment? A thing that I used to think was serious.
1. I support impeachment and removal.
2. I have changed my mind.
I oppose impeachment. Now I oppose conviction.
I have changed my mind.
I oppose impeachment and conviction. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.
Update through #100:
85% oppose impeachment (57 of 68)
15% support impeachment (10 of 68)
7% have had a change of mind (5 of 68) — 1 toward support, 4 toward oppose
oppose impeachment and conviction,”
I have not changed my mind
Is this the FEMA camp RSVP?
I oppose impeachment and conviction. I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.
Support-not changed
I oppose impeachment.
I have not changed my mind.
I’m just saying, would be a turn of events…
I oppose impeachment and conviction.
I have not changed my mind as events have unfolded.
I violently oppose the second impeachment of President Donald Trump.
I have not changed my mind.
This “impeachment” is stupid and absurd. It is a abuse of power. I listened to Trump’s speech from beginning to end, as I was working on my PC, at my work-at-home job. IN NO WAY did President Trump “incite violence”. The very notion is stupid and insulting. The unfolding events has made me more firm in my opinions. There, as that clear enough?
Oppose, oppose, oppose. I have not changed my mind.
This whole show is just because he came and upset The Program. The nerve.
I oppose impeachment and conviction.
I have not changed my mind as events unfolded.
Because of course you need a foreigner without a green card voting, I must respond.
Support impeachment, don’t yet know about convicting, changed my mind a number times and will probably do it some more.
There are disturbing stories of compromised security personnel, and possibly the involvement of some members of Congress in previously passing information to some of the people who broke into the Capitol. (Location of unmarked offices, for eg.)
If it’s true, who were those people? Was Donald Trump aware of this, involved in setting it up? That’s what should come out if the hearings are done right. And conviction should depend on that, right? If not true, or didn’t know, or wasn’t involved then no conviction.
Oppose. Have not changed my mind.
He isn’t the Washington Insider…how would he be involved with setting it up? More likely it was someone involved with the Capital Police/Security — IF there was insider involvement.
No, you are off topic. And a troll.
No, you are suspect. And a troll.
Flag, flag, flag, flag, flag.
Oppose. Never changed my mind.
And only posting this for the ratio; I think this is stupid.
Both impeachments hinged on interpreting something President Trump said as the opposite, even with accurate transcripts available.
And both involve Democrats blaming President Trump for the very things Democrats did themselves. Tactical projection.
In the first impeachment, Joe Biden boasted about a quid pro quo with the Ukraine. And in the second case, we have arrested the Antifa/BLM folks who committed the crime, and Antifa and BLM are financially associated with the Democrat party through Act Blue.
Both impeachments are obvious political theatre and Tactical Projection.
Support, no.